At least nine people have been killed and countless others injured as powerful storms tore through Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas over the weekend. The violent weather, which included multiple tornadoes, obliterated homes, overturned vehicles, and left tens of thousands without power.
Five of the deaths occurred in Texas near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado ripped through a rural area close to a mobile home park on Saturday night. In Oklahoma, two people lost their lives in Mayes County, and at least six others were taken for treatment, according to Michael Dunham, Deputy Director of Emergency Management for the county.
Benton County, Arkansas, reported one fatality and “multiple” injuries due to the storms. Sheriff Sean Halloway stated that emergency response teams were engaged in search and rescue operations throughout the night.
The violent weather also caused serious destruction in Denton, Texas, where a heavily damaged building trapped multiple victims. Injured individuals were transported to area hospitals by ground and air ambulances.
As the storms continue to push eastward, affecting the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Sunday, and the East Coast on Monday, millions of people remain at risk of experiencing severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Experts attribute the long and deadly tornado season to an ongoing clash between cold and warm influences across the Plains, South and Midwest.
