Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the United States, destroying schools and toppling semitrailers in several states, as part of a monster storm that killed at least 34 people in six states.
In Kansas, at least eight people were killed and numerous injuries were reported Friday after more than 55 vehicles collided due to a dust storm.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves reported six deaths in three counties as multiple tornadoes ripped through the state. Reeves reported that at least three others were missing.
Missouri had the most fatalities of any state as it weathered scattered twisters overnight, killing at least 12, according to authorities. A man died after his home was destroyed by a tornado.
“It wasn’t recognizable as a home. Butler County Coroner Jim Akers described the scene that rescuers faced as “just a debris field.” “The floor was upside down. We were walking along walls.”
Dakota Henderson said he and others who were rescuing people trapped in their homes on Friday night discovered five bodies scattered in the debris outside his aunt’s house in Wayne County, Missouri.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe stated that first responders, volunteers, and faith-based partners “worked tirelessly” throughout the night “in response to a series of devastating tornadoes and severe storms, and before that, dangerous and damaging fires.”
In Oklahoma, the governor stated that one person died on the road, most likely due to smoke.
In Arkansas, officials reported three fatalities in Independence County and 29 injuries in eight counties as a result of a storm system that passed through the state overnight.
Staff from the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) have been summoned to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) due to widespread storm damage across the state.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Saturday that she spoke with President Trump following Friday night’s tornadoes in the state.
“[Trump] said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes,” she wrote in a comment to X.
Further south in Texas, officials reported four deaths as a result of weather-related incidents, some of which occurred during car accidents in the midst of a dust storm.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the state Department of Public Safety, describing the near-zero visibility as a nightmare. “We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled.”
More than 130 fires were reported across Oklahoma, prompting evacuation orders in some communities. According to the State Patrol, the winds were so strong that several tractor-trailers toppled.
“This is terrible out here,” said Charles Daniel, a trucker driving a 48-foot trailer down Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. “There is a lot of sand and dirt in the air.” I’m not going over 55 mph. “I’m afraid it’ll blow over if I do.”
The severe storm front triggered tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama. The weather service issued multiple tornado warnings across Alabama Saturday night, urging residents to “please seek shelter.”
A CBS News spotter in Elrod, east Alabama, reported that a possible tornado had uprooted trees and damaged at least one home.
In Sipsey, Alabama, north of Birmingham, a 911 call center informed CBS News that a suspected tornado had caused injuries and damaged several homes.
At one point, weather service employees at the agency’s Birmingham office were forced to abandon their duties and seek shelter.
“We are back. Many thanks to @NWSAtlanta for their assistance!” NWS Birmingham posted on social media.
Heavy rain could cause flash flooding along the East Coast on Sunday.
According to experts, such weather extremes are common in March.
“What distinguishes this one is its massive size and intensity,” said Bill Bunting of the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. “And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area.”
The deaths occurred as a massive storm system moved across the country, unleashing winds that caused deadly dust storms and sparked more than 100 wildfires.
Extreme weather was expected to affect an area with over 100 million people. Winds gusting up to 80 mph were forecast from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfires in warmer, drier areas to the south.
Magenta marks areas at highest risk
The Storm Prediction Center uses five categories to warn about impending severe weather, ranging from marginal to high. The forecast maps are color-coded, with the lowest risk areas in green and the highest in magenta.
The highest risk area on Saturday includes parts of Mississippi and Alabama.
According to the agency’s product descriptions, the “high risk” designation is used when severe weather is expected to include “numerous intense and long-tracked tornadoes” or thunderstorms with hurricane-force wind gusts that will cause widespread damage.
On many days when the “high risk” designation was used in recent years, the forecasts came true.
Tornadoes hit amid storm outbreak
According to the weather service, at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, one of which was near Saint Louis. The storm damaged several buildings, including a strip mall in Rolla, Missouri, where a tornado was reported on Friday afternoon.
The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could produce tornadoes and hail the size of baseballs, but the greatest threat would be straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of up to 100 mph (160 kph).
The National Weather Service predicted “potentially violent” tornadoes on Saturday in parts of the central Gulf Coast and Deep South, including the Tennessee Valley.
The Storm Prediction Center warned that parts of Mississippi, including Jackson and Hattiesburg, and Alabama, including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, would be at high risk. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes were also possible in eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee, and the western Florida Panhandle.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to the damaging weather that was expected to hit the state overnight. It is set to expire on Tuesday.
“This storm will hit at the worst possible time, when people are about to go to bed or are already asleep. Before they retire for the evening, I’d like to remind everyone to be prepared ahead of time and to stay weather aware as long as this system is in the state.”
Wildfires break out amid dry, gusty conditions
Wildfires in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly due to warm, dry weather and strong winds, prompting evacuation orders for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico on Friday.
A blaze in Roberts County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly expanded from less than a square mile to an estimated 32.8 square miles, according to the Texas A&M University Forest Service. Crews halted their advance by Friday evening. Another fire, about 60 miles to the south, spread to about 3.9 square miles before being halted in the afternoon.
The National Weather Service reported a “complex of extremely dangerous fires” northeast of Oklahoma City, near Stillwater. The city of approximately 50,000 residents were advised to evacuate on Friday evening. Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders via social media, affecting homes, hotels, and a Walmart.
In total, nearly 150 fires were reported in Oklahoma, according to Andy James, the state Forestry Services fire management chief. The State Patrol reported on social media that winds toppled several tractor-trailers.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt reported that 70,000 acres had burned across the state. According to Stitt, approximately 293 homes and structures had been destroyed as of Saturday afternoon, including his own farmhouse.
Firefighters had been stationed in specific areas, allowing authorities to respond to fires more quickly, James explained. Firefighting aircraft were also deployed in some areas of Oklahoma and Texas, but were unable to fly due to low visibility caused by smoke and dust, he explained.
Officials urged residents in some parts of central Missouri’s Camden County to evacuate due to wildfires, and the State Highway Patrol warned on social media that they were approaching homes and businesses.
Approximately 120 miles of Interstate 70 in western Kansas were temporarily closed due to blowing dust and limited visibility.
According to poweroutage.us, more than 250,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Mississippi lost power as a result of high winds.
Blizzard warnings in Northern Plains
The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota early Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches were forecast, with up to a foot possible.
Wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected to cause whiteout conditions.
