Severe storms have killed people in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky, coinciding with record-breaking early-season heatwaves affecting areas from south Texas to Florida.
According to a Daily Mail report, Texans awoke to the sound of tornado sirens as powerful storms wreaked havoc across the state. The series of storms over recent weeks have resulted in 24 deaths and caused extensive damage and destruction.
One particularly severe tornado in Cooke County, Texas, resulted in seven fatalities on Saturday. The combined impact of the storms and heat waves has led to catastrophic damage in the affected regions.
Texas experienced extreme hail and heavy rain, further complicating the situation. The severe weather jeopardized the primary runoff election, forcing many polling stations in Dallas to shut down due to power outages. By midday Tuesday, more than 100 polling stations were without power, significantly disrupting the election process.
The severe storms also affected air travel. At Dallas Fort Worth Airport, an American Airlines Boeing 737 was rotated by severe wind gusts, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. The incident highlighted the storms' widespread impact beyond just residential areas.
HGTV stars Jenny and Dave Marrs were vacationing in Arkansas when a tornado hit. They hid in a closet with their family and pets, experiencing the storm's full force.
In Valley View, TX, a tornado destroyed a gas station and damaged surrounding cars, adding to the extensive list of damages. Residents described the storm as 'crazy,' likening the noise to that of a jet engine.
Charleston, Kentucky, also suffered extensive damage from a tornado on Sunday night. Charleston Fire Chief Rob Linton described the scene as a "big mess," with trees down everywhere, houses moved, and power lines down. "No utilities whatsoever – no water, no power," he added.
Over 744,000 households in Texas experienced power outages on Tuesday, 600,000 of which were in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone. Other states also faced significant outages, including 81,000 in Kentucky, 41,000 in Arkansas, 22,000 in West Virginia, and 21,000 in Missouri. Twelve states reported at least 10,000 outages earlier in the day.
Dallas County officials issued a disaster declaration in response to the power outage situation. Some rural areas in Hopkins County, previously hit by a tornado in 2021, were damaged again during the storms. Texans shared videos on social media showing constant lightning strikes, surreal skies, floodwater, and gale-force winds.
President Joe Biden sent condolences to the families of those who died and stated that FEMA is conducting damage assessments. Harold Brooks from the National Severe Storms Laboratory said, "A persistent pattern of warm, moist air is to blame for the string of tornadoes over the past two months."
The recent storms have left a trail of devastation across Texas and other states, with tornadoes and extreme hail causing significant damage, power outages, and fatalities. The severe weather disrupted the primary runoff election, affected air travel, and led to numerous personal accounts of survival and loss.
With federal assistance on the way, affected communities are beginning the long recovery process. President Joe Biden's condolences and FEMA's involvement highlight the severity of the situation, underscored by the second-highest number of tornadoes recorded in April in U.S. history.
