Extreme weather wreaked havoc across the Midwest before moving into Texas, bringing with it storms and flash flooding. Rescue teams are working tirelessly through demolished homes in search of survivors following a devastating weekend.
Over the weekend, at least five individuals, including an infant, perished in Oklahoma and Iowa due to the extreme weather conditions. The victims’ identities have yet to be disclosed.
The tornado that struck Marietta, Oklahoma, on Saturday was upgraded to an EF4 on the potency scale, with sustained winds of at least 166 mph and potentially reaching 200 mph. This marks the first EF4 tornado of the year in the United States and is the strongest thus far. Another tornado in Sulphur, Oklahoma, was assessed at EF3.
The National Weather Service recorded 25 tornadoes touching down in the area covered by its Norman, Oklahoma, office on Saturday.
While the heaviest rain and thunderstorms are expected to subside by Monday evening, Tuesday poses a risk for severe weather in parts of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas. This includes areas hit hard by weekend tornadoes, such as Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, and Kansas City, Missouri. Large hail, damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, and flash floods are potential hazards.
A slight risk of severe thunderstorms, including large hail, severe winds, and possible tornadoes, is forecasted for several regions on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a new system moving in from the west will reintroduce the risk of severe storms in the central Plains and parts of Kansas, western Oklahoma, and northern Texas.
The weather service attributes these storms to a series of cold fronts from the Pacific Northwest colliding with warmer air from the southeast, creating an unstable atmosphere conducive to tornadoes and thunderstorms.
In Texas, storms have caused widespread destruction, including the flattening of homes in Trinity. Tens of thousands of customers are without power across Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Oklahoma, where entire towns have been ravaged. Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency for 12 counties, emphasizing the extensive destruction and urging support for affected communities.
In Iowa, Pottawattamie County suffered significant damage, with around 300 homes and businesses destroyed. President Joe Biden has offered federal support to affected states, highlighting the severity of the situation.
