More Than 30 Killed as Tornadoes Devastate Central US

WASHINGTON: At least 33 people were killed and dozens injured in tornadoes and severe storms that swept through the central United States on Saturday, authorities said.

Local news reports showed roofs ripped off homes and large trucks overturned, as forecasters warned of more storms later this week.

Eight people were killed in a 50-vehicle crash in Kansas, caused by low visibility during a “severe dust storm,” local police said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed 12 storm-related deaths and shared photos of boats piled on top of each other at a marina damaged by the weather.

State police reported downed trees and power lines, as well as damage to buildings, with some areas severely impacted by “storms, thunderstorms and large hail.”

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through, it was so fast, our ears were going to pop,” Alicia Wilson, who was evacuated from her home in Missouri, told TV station KSDK.

Further south in Mississippi, the state’s governor said six deaths had been reported and three people were missing over the weekend.

Meanwhile, in Texas, local officials told media that four people had died in vehicle accidents linked to a dust storm and a fire that reduced visibility on the roads.

Authorities in neighboring Arkansas said three people had died and 29 were injured in the storm.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency in response and said she had spoken to President Donald Trump.

“He asked to let the people of Arkansas know he loves them and that he and his administration are here to help us with everything we need after last night’s storm,” Sanders wrote on X.

More tornadoes predicted

At least 200,000 homes and businesses in the central United States were without power as of Saturday evening, according to tracking site poweroutage.us.

More tornadoes were forecast for Saturday in the central Gulf Coast states, including Mississippi and Tennessee.

“Several significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-lasting and potentially violent, are expected to continue through this evening,” the National Weather Service said.

Read more: Saudi Arabia’s desert turns into ‘Winter wonderland’ after hailstorm

Tornadoes are rotating columns of air that strike the ground from large cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds.

The central and southern U.S. states of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are among the most violent due to unique geographic and meteorological conditions.

Dubbed “Tornado Alley,” it is the place where winds of widely varying temperatures converge into unstable, powerful storm clouds, with most tornadoes occurring from May to June.

In 2024, 54 people died in tornado-related incidents in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.