Tornadoes wreak havoc across parts of the US, leaving a path of devastation and death | US News
Powerful storms have claimed the lives of at least 15 individuals and caused widespread destruction as they moved through central parts of the United States.
The tornado that ripped through a rural area in northern Texas, near the Oklahoma border, on Saturday evening resulted in the deaths of at least seven people.
Cooke County sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed that two children, aged two and five, were among the victims, with many others sustaining injuries.
He mentioned that numerous trailer homes in the area were completely destroyed, with a quarter-mile-wide path of devastation extending three to four miles.
“The aftermath is quite severe,” he stated. “It’s just a trail of debris left behind.”
In addition to the fatalities in Texas, storms also claimed two lives and caused house destruction in Oklahoma. Guests at an outdoor wedding in Oklahoma were injured, and at least five individuals lost their lives in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman.
Furthermore, in Louisville, Kentucky, a man was fatally injured when a tree fell on him on Sunday.
The town of Valley View in Cooke County, home to barely 800 residents, suffered significant damage.
Kevin Dorantes, 20, recounted an incident where he found a father and son trapped under debris, prompting friends and neighbors to come together to rescue them.
“Despite their injuries, they were conscious,” Dorantes said. “The father had a broken leg.”
They were able to transport the father on a mattress to a truck, which then took them to the nearest ambulance.
Juana Landeros salvages a Guadalupe Virgin statue from her destroyed home. Pic: AP
Hugo Parra collects belongings from his vehicle. Pic: AP
Hugo Parra described taking shelter with around 40 to 50 individuals in the bathroom of a truck stop near Valley View as the storm caused extensive damage to the building. Roof and walls were torn off, metal beams twisted, and cars in the parking lot were battered.
“It felt like the wind was attempting to pull us out of the bathrooms,” he recalled.
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The extent of the damage became apparent on Sunday morning with aerial footage showing numerous homes severely impacted, some with roofs missing and others reduced to rubble. Residents woke up to overturned vehicles and collapsed garages.
Hundreds of thousands of customers were left without electricity in various states, including Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas on Sunday, according to poweroutages.us.
In Indiana, adverse weather led to a delay in the start of the famed Indy 500 car race.
Severe weather is anticipated in parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee, with the National Weather Service issuing warnings of damaging winds, large hail, and additional tornadoes in those areas.
April and May have seen an increased number of tornadoes, particularly in the Midwest, with Iowa experiencing significant damage last week from a deadly twister in Greenfield.
