Deadly Storm Claims 33 Lives as Tornadoes, Wildfires, and Blinding Dust Sweep Across the U.S.
Tornadoes have resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen individuals in Missouri, causing extensive destruction to homes and businesses, particularly in Wayne County.
This past weekend, severe weather swept across the central and southern United States, unleashing tornadoes and strong winds that leveled both homes and schools. As of March 16, at least 33 fatalities have been attributed to this catastrophic storm.
The weather system also triggered icy conditions in the northern regions and deadly dust storms in the central United States, along with severe thunderstorms that appeared on Sunday, even affecting the West Coast. A weather forecaster classified the phenomenon with an unusual “high risk” alert.
Tornadoes have devastated parts of Missouri, claiming at least a dozen lives and obliterating properties in heavily impacted Wayne County. While teams continue to sift through the wreckage, Butler County Coroner Jim Akers described one home as “just a debris field,” where a man lost his life.
“The floor was upside down,” he recounted. “We were walking on walls.”
In neighboring Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves reported that six individuals had died across three counties, with three more unaccounted for by Saturday evening as the storm progressed east towards Alabama, causing significant damage to residences and infrastructure.
In Arkansas, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency, confirming three fatalities in her state. Additionally, there was at least one storm-related death reported in Alabama’s Dallas County, as noted by Sheriff Michael L. Granthum.
Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp enacted a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm’s arrival on Sunday.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency shared a tornado watch for parts of southeast Georgia via their official social media accounts early Sunday morning.
“We will continue to collaborate with state and local officials to address damages and evaluate any needs following this weather event,” Kemp added.
The system’s initial high winds spawned dust storms that resulted in at least a dozen fatalities on Friday. According to the state highway patrol, a massive pileup of at least 50 vehicles on a Kansas highway resulted in eight deaths.
Additionally, authorities reported that a dust storm in Amarillo, Texas Panhandle, led to three fatalities due to car collisions.
This extreme weather event was forecast to affect a vast region inhabited by over 100 million people, bringing frigid blizzards to the northern states while igniting wildfires in the warm and dry southern regions.
Evacuations were ordered in certain parts of Oklahoma where more than 130 fires were reported, with nearly 300 homes damaged or destroyed. During a press briefing on Saturday, Governor Kevin Stitt noted approximately 266 square miles had burned, including one of his homes located on a ranch northeast of Oklahoma City.
Beginning Saturday morning, the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for areas stretching from western Minnesota to far eastern South Dakota, anticipating snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with some areas possibly receiving a foot. Winds were also expected to create whiteout conditions.
As dangerous tornadoes persisted into Saturday evening, the Storm Prediction Center identified the highest risk areas, which included eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
