Severe storms, tornadoes in central US leave over 9 dead
Date
5/27/2024 3:21:40 AM
(MENAFN) Officials reported that severe storms, including tornadoes, wreaked havoc across several states in the central United States, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals, as announced on Sunday.
The impacted states included Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Rescue operations were actively underway, while a significant portion of the affected population, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, remained without electricity following the onslaught of storms that commenced in the Southern Plains region late Saturday.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed to a US news agency that five fatalities occurred in Texas as a tornado tore through the Valley View vicinity, situated north of Dallas.
"Sadly, I think that number will rise," Sappington informed a news agency, noting that search and rescue efforts were still in progress.
The tornado caused extensive damage, destroying homes, a gas station, and overturning vehicles on an interstate highway, as noted by Sappington. He described the damage as "pretty extensive." While there were "a lot" of injuries reported, none were deemed life-threatening, according to earlier statements made to the news agency.
In Oklahoma, at least two fatalities were reported after a tornado struck Mayes County late Saturday, according to Johnny Janzen, the county's head of emergency management, in comments to a news agency in Tulsa. Meanwhile, in northern Arkansas, local authorities confirmed that two individuals lost their lives in storms during the early hours of Sunday.
The impact of the severe weather extended as far north as Indiana, where the start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed on Sunday due to storms in the area. Spectators were instructed to evacuate the bleachers and seek shelter. The race, one of the most iconic car races in America, typically draws a crowd of 125,000.
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