New York City under flood watch, states brace for tornadoes as Memorial Day storms hit East Coast
As storms pelt the East Coast, communities in the central US are mourning the 21 lives lost to severe weather this weekend
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Your support makes all the difference.At least 21 people have died, including two children, in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky after violent storms ripped through the central US over Memorial Day weekend.
At least 11 tornadoes swept through affected states on Sunday, with severe weather forecast to continue throughout Memorial Day. On Monday, a staggering 120m Americans were at risk of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes as storm systems moved towards the Gulf Coast and East Coast, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.
The storms could bring gusts up to 70 miles per hour and quarter-sized hail.
Meanwhile, record-high temperatures are feared in other parts of the country, with excessive heat warnings and heat advisories over southern Texas on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 21 people on Monday.
At least eight people have so far died as a result of the extreme storms in Arkansas, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a news conference on Sunday evening.
Four people died in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed on Monday morning. The victims included a 67-year-old woman in Mercer County, a 62-year-old woman in Hardin County, a 48-year-old woman in Hopkins County and a 34-year-old man in Jefferson County, the governor said.
A fifth person was injured and is fighting for their life as of Monday afternoon, Mr Beshear said.
Meanwhile in Oklahoma, at least two people were killed in Mayes County after a tornado ripped through the northeast part of the state.
In Texas, multiple tornados were reported throughout the state with one plowing through Cooke County on Saturday night – approximately 50 miles north of Dallas – leaving seven people dead.
The sheriff confirmed that a two-year-old and a five-year-old were among the dead. The victims also included three other family members who were found in a home near Valley View – a rural community close to the Oklahoma border.
In a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado
The dazed residents of a remote north Texas county sifted through their mangled homes on Sunday after seven people there were killed when a tornado ripped through the region near the tiny community of Valley View.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said there’s “just a trail of debris left” in the area bordering Oklahoma where the dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, in Valley View, a town where barely 800 people live. The bodies of three family members were found in one residence, the sheriff said.
Read more from the Associated Press:
In a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado
The dazed residents of a remote north Texas county sifted through their mangled homes after seven people there were killed when a tornado ripped through the region near the tiny community of Valley View
Five people in Arkansas dead
At least five people died in Arkansas as a result of the storm – one person in Benton County, local authorities said in a press conference on Sunday, two people in Marion County, the sheriff’s department said, one person in Baxter County, the sheriff’s department said, and a 26-year-old woman who was found outside a home in Boone County, according to AP.
Two children among 7 killed in Texas
Multiple tornados ripped throughout Texas on Saturday evening with one plowing through Cooke County – approximately 50 miles north of Dallas – leaving seven people dead, including two children.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed that a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old were among those killed. The victims also included three family members who were found in a home near Valley View – a rural community close to the Oklahoma border.
“It’s just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe,” Mr Sappington said.
National Weather Service warns of more severe weather
The NWS Weather Prediction Center warned that the severe storms were shifting east and could bring heavy rain, thunderstorms or hail to parts of the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Monday.
Storms currently over the central Plains and Ohio Valley are expected “to grow upscale and merge into a larger complex”, according to the weather warnings, while expanding through parts of Missouri, Illinois, western Kentucky and other neighboring states.
Meanwhile, dangerous and “potentially record-breaking” heat will continue to beat down on parts of Texas, the Western Gulf and southern Florida.
Louisville mayor confirms one death in Kentucky
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a post on X that one person died during the strong storms.
“Louisville, I’m sad to report we’ve had one fatality following the severe weather that just moved through the area and some structural damage reported. Please join me in holding this family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time — may their memory be a blessing,” he wrote.
Mr Greenberg warned residents of Louisville that more severe weather was expected Sunday night.
As of Sunday afternoon, more than 200,000 residents in Kentucky were without power.
Texas resident shares horrifying moment when tornado hit gas station
A Texas resident shared a video from the terrifying moments a tornado struck the Shell gas station he and his sister took shelter in as severe storms struck the area over the weekend.
Conner Steins shared the video to X, which shows other people taking shelter in the aisles of the gas station market as destructive winds blew out the windows and sent debris scattering everwhere.
“Last night, my sister and I were driving on I-35 when the Valley View tornado hit the gas station. We pulled into the gas station so that I could look at radar, and then we took shelter. That being said, here is a view from inside the Shell gas station!” Steins wrote.
Tornado in Oklahoma classified to EF3
A powerful and violent tornado that caused expansive damage in Claremore, Oklahoma has been classified as an EF3.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF) is what measures the destructive nature of a tornado by examining damage surveys and wind speeds.
An EF3 means the tornado had wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph.
Watch: Moment tornado rips through gas station walls in Texas
Hundreds of thousands without power
As millions of Americans in the central US prepare for strong storms to bring destruction, possible flooding and tornados, hundreds of thousands of others are doing so without power.
According to poweroutage.us more than 400,000 people are currently in the dark with more than 190,000 residents of Kentucky currently experiencing power outages. At least 70,000 people in Missouri and Arkansas also have no electricity.
Mass outages are also happening in Texas, Indiana and Kansas.
Indianapolis 500 delayed amid severe weather
The Indianapolis 500 started Sunday after a rain delay of four hours with NASCAR star Kyle Larson still at the track and in the race.
Larson is trying to run “The Double” and compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But the weather in Indianapolis on Sunday put a year’s worth of planning in jeopardy when a strong band of thunderstorms swept through Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of pre-race festivities.
IMS officials forced the evacuation of about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
When the storm cleared and after two hours of drying the 2.5-mile oval, track officials expected the race to complete all 200 laps before dusk. There is an 8:15 p.m. curfew to complete the race.
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