Tornadoes and storms leave at least 13 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas

Strong storms killed at least 13 people, including two children, and left a wide trail of destruction on Sunday in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, destroying homes and destroying a truck stop where several people took shelter.

In Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said two children, ages 2 and 5, were among seven people killed in the rural county. The storms also destroyed a nearby truck stop where dozens of people had rushed for shelter. The storms also caused damage in Oklahoma, where guests at an outdoor wedding were injured. Thousands of residents were left without power across the region.

“Only a trail of rubble remains. The devastation is quite serious,” Sappington told The Associated Press.

Authorities said several people were taken to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County, Texas, but they did not know the severity of their injuries. Sappington noted that among the dead in Texas were three members of a family who were found in a home near the small community of Valley View.

At least two people died in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman who was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, said Daniel Bolen of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.

Another person died in Benton County, Arkansas. Melody Kwok, the county’s communications director, said many other people were injured and emergency workers were still responding to calls.

“We are still in search and rescue efforts at this time,” he said. “It is a very active situation.”

Authorities also confirmed two deaths in Mayes County, Oklahoma. Details about the deceased were not immediately available, said Mike Dunham, the county’s deputy director of emergency management.

The destruction continued a grim month of deadly weather conditions in the nation’s center.

This week’s tornadoes in Iowa left at least five dead and dozens injured. April was the second month with the highest number of tornadoes recorded in the country.

Forecasters had issued warnings for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in parts of the two states, after a day in which daytime temperature records were broken in South Texas and heat advisories were issued over the holiday weekend.

Norman’s office had warned on Saturday that the situation was very volatile and could produce dangerous winds, large hail and tornadoes.

Excessive heat, especially for the month of May, was the danger in South Texas, where wind chills were expected to reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in some places over the weekend. The actual temperature would be somewhat lower, but the humidity would make the sensation much stronger.

The region was at the northern edge of a heat dome stretching from Mexico to South America, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zack Taylor.

Sunday could be the hottest day, with records for late May expected in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas and San Antonio, Taylor said.

Brownsville and Harlingen, near the Texas-Mexico border, already broke records on Saturday for the date of May 25 — with 99°F (37°C) and 100°F (38°C), respectively — according to the weather service.

There were also alerts in West Texas, all of New Mexico and parts of Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado. Humidity was very low, below 10%, and gusts of up to 97 km/h (60 mph) were recorded.

“We have very dry air, warm temperatures and strong winds that create a high fire risk over a wide area … which can lead to uncontrollable or rapidly spreading fires,” Taylor said.

April and May have been months of high tornado activity, especially in the north-central region of the country. Climate change is increasing the intensity of storms around the world.

The United States recorded the second highest number of tornadoes in April. So far in 2024, the country is already 25% above the average for tornadoes, according to the Norman Storm Prediction Center.

Iowa was dealt a tough blow this week when a deadly tornado ripped through Greenfield. And other storms caused flooding and wind damage in different parts of the state.

The storm system that caused the severe weather was expected to move east over Memorial Day weekend, bringing rain that could delay Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race in Indiana and more. storms in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.

The risk of severe weather moves to North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, according to forecasters.

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