Devastating Tornadoes claim 34 Lives across Southern US

At least 34 people have died in the United States after powerful tornadoes tore through several southeastern states, leaving a trail of destruction.

Missouri alone reported 12 fatalities as violent winds overturned vehicles and demolished homes.

In Kansas, at least eight people lost their lives when a dust storm caused a massive pileup involving over 55 vehicles.

The severe weather left more than 250,000 homes without power across seven states, including Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois, according to outage tracking service PowerOutage.

Authorities have issued tornado warnings and watches for eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee, and parts of Florida’s Panhandle as the storm system continues to pose a serious threat.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed six deaths as multiple tornadoes swept through the state. Meanwhile, flash flood warnings have been issued for central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana, western Tennessee, and parts of Alabama and Arkansas, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of life-threatening conditions.

Missouri’s emergency management agency reported that at least 19 tornadoes have affected 25 counties so far. Among the 12 casualties in the state, one individual’s home was completely destroyed.

In Arkansas, three people died and 29 others were injured, prompting Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to declare a state of emergency. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has also issued an emergency declaration, while Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt confirmed one fatality in his state.

Texas was hit by a deadly dust storm on Friday night, leading to a chain-reaction crash involving 38 vehicles and causing four deaths.

In addition to the tornadoes, the violent storms have sparked over 100 wildfires across central US states, overturning multiple semi-trailer trucks. Oklahoma’s 840 Road Fire alone has consumed 27,500 acres and remains completely uncontained, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Service. The agency has issued a “red flag” warning, highlighting the extreme fire risk in the state’s panhandle region.

Last year, tornado-related events claimed 54 lives in the US, with Texas recording nine deaths, Oklahoma eight, Arkansas five, and Missouri one.