Deadly Tornadoes Rake Through Central U.S.

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY STORMS
DEADLY TORNADOES
TORNADO EMERGENCIES
.

Severe Thunderstorms Spawning Deadly Tornadoes Kill at least Two Dozen People in Central U.S.

Gov. Sam Brownback declared a state of disaster emergency for Baxter Springs, Kansas Sunday evening.

At least a dozen fatalities reported in Arkansas, with many more injuries caused by up to 14 confirmed tornadoes.

Tornadoes have also claimed lives in other parts of America’s midsection.

• At least 30 tornadoes (29 confirmed) have swooped across six states, as of posting.

• Tornado reports received by SPC from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Mississippi.

• A twister hit Quapaw, Ottawa County, Okla., about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, killing at least two people and causing damage, according to the sheriff’s office. The extent of damage was unknown, as of posting.

• The tornado destroyed the fire station in Quapaw, and caused heavy damage to north end of the town.

• Arkansas Game and Fish HQ east of Mayflower has been heavily damaged, said SPC.

• A “mass casualty situation” has been reported by the Faulkner County Sheriff’s office, after a half-mile wide tornado touched down in Vilonia, AR.

• A massive tornado touched down west of Little Rock, AR, leaving a 30-mile path of destruction.

• Parts of Pulaski County were devastated with numerous homes completely destroyed, said the sheriff’s office.

• A powerful tornado damaged or destroyed numerous homes and several buildings in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas. (Also unconfirmed reports of multiple deaths, 25 people injured.)

• Another tornado produced an intermittent damage path to the northeast of Hammond, Kansas, after toppling a grain elevator onto railroad tracks, overturning 6 rail cars.

• A tornado damaged or destroyed several houses in Saltillo, Arkansas.

• Numerous trees were uprooted in White County, AR.

• Town of Ferndale, AR, is one of the worst hit areas,  said the sheriff’s office.

Tornado touches down in Baxter Springs, photo by Trevor Burrows.

Numerous reports of Damaging Winds and/or Destructive Hail have also been sent to the SPC from the above states as well as Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky.

• Numerous trees and powerlines were down with  quarter size hail reported in Todd County, Kentucky. (The trees are down on cars and houses).

• Heavy damage to farmhouses and barns reported across Missouri.

• Thousands of trees, large and small, uprooted or snapped across Iowa.

• Trees blown onto powerlines and buildings damaged across Carroll, MO.  Quarter sized hail also reported.

• Farm animals reported missing in Lafayette, MO.

• Baseball size hail was smashing windows out of vehicles west of Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas.

• Large hail damaged many vehicles in Wood County, TX.

• “Tonight, I walked around what was only hours earlier a thriving neighborhood that is now gone. An entire neighborhood of 50 or so homes has been destroyed – many homes are completely gone except the foundation,”  U.S. Representative for Arkansas Tim Griffin told Reuters. “And there is more devastation like this in other parts of Arkansas.”

The national Weather Service (NWS) has also issued the following forecast.

Another round of severe weather and heavy precipitation expected on Monday

The threat for severe weather will last overnight Sunday into Monday morning in the Central and Southern U.S. Another significant outbreak, that could include strong tornadoes, is possible Monday afternoon and night in the Mid-South and Lower Miss. Valley. Severe weather could also impact parts of the Mid/Upper Miss. and Ohio Valleys. Heavy rainfall in the Midwest and South could cause flooding.

Related Links

• Tornadoes Strike OK, KS, MS, AR, NE, IA April 28, 2014
• Tornadoes Destroy or Damage Hundreds of N.C. Homes April 26, 2014