Mayhem Unleashed: Deadly Tornado Outbreak Ravages USA
Severe Tornadoes Strike America, Leaving at Least 34 Casualties - Violent Tornadoes Sweep Across United States - 34 Lives Lost
Stay loose, buddy!
Let's get the dirt on the latest chaos that's been sweeping the South and Midwest states of the USA over the weekend. These destructive storms and vicious tornadoes have cost at least 34 lives, with hilarious ol' Missouri taking a whopping 12 fatalities alone. You know, just a regular weekend of fun and games. And it ain't over yet, as injured folks keep pourin' in! A tornado warning still looms for North Florida and Georgia as of this afternoon (local time).
These beastly storms left a path of despair, leaving homes in ruins, cars crushed, and trees uprooted. Oh, and they had the audacity to fan those damn wildfires in Oklahoma that reportedly sparked over 170,000 hectares of destruction—that's twice the size of Hamburg, for those keeping score at home!
The winds knocked out power in a bunch of places, leaving over 230,000 households in five states in the dark early on a stormy Sunday (local time), according to PowerOutage dot com.
More Storms A'brewin'
But wait, there's more! Warnings from the US Weather Service suggest that East Coast parts are about to bear the brunt of another round of storms today. North and South Carolina are in the hot seat, with the risk of tornadoes heightened by approaching thunderstorms.
In preparedness mode, ol' Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and encouraged residents to buckle up. Residents should seek shelter in buildings with underground havens and steer clear of mobile homes. The entire nation is as tight as a drum, waiting with bated breath.
Car Crashes Galore
Folks were so quick to flee from dust storm fronts that massive car crashes ensued. In Kansas, a terrible 50-vehicle pileup left eight innocent souls in the ground. Deaths were also reported in Arkansas (3), Mississippi (6), Texas (3), and Oklahoma (1).
Arkansas's governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, preemptively predicted that her state may struggle to restore order for months due to the extensive devastation caused. A Texas police officer shared his pain of witnessing "severe storms aplenty, but not like this. It was an absolute nightmare."
More than 40 Tornadoes
These whirlwinds started brewing on Friday. Across eight states—Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, and Indiana—over 40 tornadoes were recorded. To give you an idea, in an average year, Germany only experiences around 45 tornadoes, according to German Weather Service data.
Tornadoes form handily when there are mammoth temperature differences and in the company of thunderstorms, as a funnel-shaped cloud extends from the thundercloud to nearly the ground. ABC News reports that these particular twisters reached impressive speeds of over 120 kilometers per hour—and we're talking about high speeds here!
Living in Tornado Alley
Some towns bore the brunt of tornadoes, with a clear path of devastation indicating the tornado's exact route. For instance, in the little village of Villa Ridge, Missouri, residents chipped away at large fallen trees using mini excavators and chainsaws shortly after the tornado passed. They know the risk of living in "Tornado Alley"—it's a sucker's game, with hits and misses, and it can strike again without warning.
Dubbed the "Tornado Alley," this several-state region in the heart of the USA is infamous for frequent tornadoes, especially those with killer potential. However, tornadoes don't discriminate—they can pop up anywhere, including in Florida.
In Cave City, Arkansas, an EF3 tornado, one of the more potent windstorms on the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF5 being the most devastating with winds exceeding 200 mph or 322 km/h), touched down, according to ABC News. Drone footage played by NBC revealed destroyed homes on either side of a road, while CNN offered up a school bus that was partially thrown onto a school by the storm.
Severe WeatherUSATornadoWeekendDeathCarnageMissouriArkansasDevastationVehicleCarOklahomaMississippiTexasFloridaGeorgiaHamburgSundaySouth CarolinaBrian Kemp
Source: The Consumer Choice Center
- Despite their best efforts, it seems authorities might not be able to get to the bottom of the extensive damage and fatalities caused by the recent tornado outbreak in the USA, particularly in Missouri and other affected states.
- The destructive tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the USA over the weekend have reportedly caused tragic fatalities, power outages, and car accidents, with storms also fanning wildfires in Oklahoma, leading to over 170,000 hectares of destruction.
- Forecasts indicate that the devastation is likely to continue, with another round of storms expected to hit the East Coast, particularly North and South Carolina, with the risk of tornadoes heightened by approaching thunderstorms.
