Historic Tornadoes Strike the Central and Southern United States
Severe storms cause widespread destruction, prompting emergency declarations and urgent calls for shelter
A series of historic tornadoes swept across vast areas of the central and southern United States, resulting in extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Reports indicate that these storms uprooted trees, downed power lines, and scattered debris thousands of feet into the air.
As of Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed a minimum of 15 tornadoes across at least four states.
Local officials reported that eight individuals sustained injuries in Kentucky and Arkansas, with one in critical condition.
Late Wednesday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency due to severe storms that included large hail and torrential rainfall.
The National Weather Service issued warnings for flooding and tornadoes affecting millions of residents, emphasizing that the risks remained high into early Thursday.
The agency predicted that severe storms would persist for several days, labeling the situation as the beginning of potentially unprecedented heavy and catastrophic rainfall.
A tornado struck the town of Nevada in Missouri.
The Missouri Emergency Management Agency reported significant damage to several businesses, downed utility poles, and the overturning of numerous empty train cars due to the powerful storm.
Warnings for tornadoes and flooding were extended to portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, urged residents, "This is a life-threatening situation, seek shelter immediately."
Meteorologists attributed the severe weather conditions to rising daytime temperatures, unstable atmospheric conditions, strong winds, and high humidity levels from the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Weather Service warned of increasing risks of deadly flash flooding over the coming days in the southern and Midwest regions, as thunderstorms shifting eastward could develop into supercells.
Authorities indicated that severe storms could lead to hazardous flash flooding and involuntary hazards through Saturday, predicting that over 30 centimeters of rain could fall over the next four days.
The weather service noted that such events are rare, occurring once in a generation or even a lifetime, and emphasized the historical nature of the projected rainfall amounts and potential impacts.
According to the Storm Prediction Center based in Oklahoma, more than 90 million people are at risk of severe weather across a broad area stretching from Texas to Minnesota and Maine.
Reports indicate that these storms uprooted trees, downed power lines, and scattered debris thousands of feet into the air.
As of Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed a minimum of 15 tornadoes across at least four states.
Local officials reported that eight individuals sustained injuries in Kentucky and Arkansas, with one in critical condition.
Late Wednesday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency due to severe storms that included large hail and torrential rainfall.
The National Weather Service issued warnings for flooding and tornadoes affecting millions of residents, emphasizing that the risks remained high into early Thursday.
The agency predicted that severe storms would persist for several days, labeling the situation as the beginning of potentially unprecedented heavy and catastrophic rainfall.
A tornado struck the town of Nevada in Missouri.
The Missouri Emergency Management Agency reported significant damage to several businesses, downed utility poles, and the overturning of numerous empty train cars due to the powerful storm.
Warnings for tornadoes and flooding were extended to portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, urged residents, "This is a life-threatening situation, seek shelter immediately."
Meteorologists attributed the severe weather conditions to rising daytime temperatures, unstable atmospheric conditions, strong winds, and high humidity levels from the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Weather Service warned of increasing risks of deadly flash flooding over the coming days in the southern and Midwest regions, as thunderstorms shifting eastward could develop into supercells.
Authorities indicated that severe storms could lead to hazardous flash flooding and involuntary hazards through Saturday, predicting that over 30 centimeters of rain could fall over the next four days.
The weather service noted that such events are rare, occurring once in a generation or even a lifetime, and emphasized the historical nature of the projected rainfall amounts and potential impacts.
According to the Storm Prediction Center based in Oklahoma, more than 90 million people are at risk of severe weather across a broad area stretching from Texas to Minnesota and Maine.
