ARKANSAS — At least 34 people have died as severe weather swept through the central United States, leaving behind a trail of destruction, including tornadoes, wildfires, and fatal car accidents.
In Missouri, 12 fatalities were reported after a series of more than a dozen tornadoes struck the state on Saturday. Arkansas confirmed three deaths, alongside 29 injuries from the storm. Mississippi saw six fatalities, three people missing, and at least 29 injured, prompting Governor Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency.
Kansas reported eight deaths from a massive vehicle pileup caused by high winds and a dust storm on Friday. In Oklahoma, one person died in a car crash linked to wildfire smoke, while four were killed in crashes in the Texas panhandle due to strong winds and dust storms.
“We’ve had significant windstorms in the past, but nothing of this severity… It was horrible,” said Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the Texas Department of Public Safety. She described visibility so low that she could barely see beyond her car’s hood.
As of Saturday night, the tornado outbreak continues, with 58 tornadoes reported across the central and southern US since Friday morning, particularly affecting areas from eastern Mississippi to southern Tennessee.
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