OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – A series of devastating tornadoes have claimed the lives of at least five individuals, including an infant, in the central United States, leaving a trail of destruction and tens of thousands of residents without power. The severe weather events started on Friday, with the majority of fatalities occurring in Oklahoma, where a state of emergency has been declared across twelve counties.
A fifth victim succumbed to their injuries in Iowa following a separate storm system that impacted the Midwest. The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that initial investigations confirmed that some of Saturday’s tornadoes had wind speeds exceeding 136 miles per hour.
The storms, which stretched from Texas to Missouri, resulted in up to seven inches of rainfall in some areas within hours. Eastern Oklahoma’s town of Sulphur bore the brunt of the storm with video footage revealing leveled homes and capsized vehicles. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported approximately 100 injuries.
Other towns, including Holdenville and Marietta, also suffered significant damage. Charles McCall, the speaker of the Oklahoma state House of Representatives, assured that the affected communities would recover. “We will rise, we’ll clean up, we’ll rebuild and we’ll move forward,” he stated during a news conference in Sulphur on Sunday.
Oklahoma’s Governor, Kevin Stitt, who visited the damaged town, described the destruction as the worst he had seen during his six-year tenure. The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had communicated with Governor Stitt, pledging the federal government’s full support.
The weekend’s storms followed a separate weather system that brought over 70 tornadoes to the Midwestern states of Nebraska and Iowa on Friday. Emergency declarations were issued in three counties in Nebraska, making them eligible for additional funding for rescue and recovery operations. Meteorologists have forecasted further severe weather, with the threat of damaging winds and hail, especially across northeastern Texas, northern Louisiana, Arkansas, and southern Missouri.