Synopsis
At least seven fatalities and numerous injuries were reported due to a series of tornadoes that struck the US Midwest and South, causing significant destruction and prompting flash flood warnings across multiple states.Key Takeaways
- Seven fatalities and 13 injuries from tornadoes.
- Severe damage reported in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.
- Over 30 tornadoes confirmed.
- Flash flood warnings for 3.6 million people.
- Uncommon and potentially catastrophic flooding expected.
Houston, April 4 (NationPress) At least seven individuals have tragically lost their lives and 13 others sustained injuries after a series of tornadoes swept through extensive areas of the US Midwest and South since Wednesday night, as reported by local authorities.
Initial reports confirmed five deaths in Tennessee, one in Missouri, and one in Indiana, according to local media.
The most severe damage occurred in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee, where residents recounted scenes of destruction as tornadoes tore roofs from homes and tossed vehicles into the air, as noted by the Xinhua news agency.
Approximately four million people across seven states, stretching from northeastern Texas to western Tennessee, encountered what the Weather Prediction Center labeled a “extended, life-threatening flash flood event.” Over 30 tornadoes were reported by Thursday evening, with some areas experiencing hail as large as baseballs.
By 1:40 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, the tornado outbreak had resulted in power outages affecting more than 210,000 homes and businesses from Texas and Mississippi to Ohio and Indiana, as per powerOutage.us, the US power outage tracker.
Forecasters cautioned that intense weather, including tornadoes and large hail, is anticipated over the weekend in significant portions of the central and southern United States.
As the severe storms progress eastward, over 3.6 million people are currently under life-threatening flash flood warnings across various states in the Midwest and South.
A rare high risk of flooding rainfall is established for parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Thursday, where storms will produce heavy rain through Saturday.
“This is not standard. This is an unusual, high-impact, and potentially disastrous event,” cautioned the National Weather Service (NWS) in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday.
“Widespread, uncommon, and at times catastrophic flash flooding is likely ... flash flood levels may reach areas that seldom or have never experienced flooding before,” forecasters from the NWS in Little Rock, Arkansas, warned on Thursday.
