Article Summary –
Severe storms across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas resulted in at least 15 deaths, with significant destruction of homes and infrastructure. Texas was particularly hard hit, with a tornado plowing through a mobile home park in Cooke County causing seven deaths and over 100 injuries. The storms also resulted in power outages for tens of thousands of residents, and officials expect both injury and death tolls to rise as recovery efforts continue.
Powerful Storms Kill 15 Across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas
Recent storms in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas left 15 people dead and caused significant destruction, including demolished homes and a ruined truck stop. The most severe damage occurred around a mobile home park in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where seven fatalities were reported.
In Oklahoma, two people died as a tornado destroyed homes on Saturday night. The injured included guests at an outdoor wedding. Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, informed in a press conference that approximately 100 people were injured and over 200 buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Notably, a massive tornado from the storms late Saturday caused havoc in the greater Dallas area.
In Cooke County, officials confirmed the death of seven people, including two children aged 2 and 5 belonging to the same family. Sheriff Ray Sappington stated that parts of Cooke County were utterly devastated, with an ongoing search and rescue operation for the missing.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the activation of state emergency response units to respond to the tornado via a social media post. Five people were reported killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman found dead outside a destroyed home in Boone County.
Severe storms also hit Oklahoma on Saturday night, with a tornado warning issued for some parts. The weather service made a comparison of the conditions to “a gasoline-soaked brush pile”, indicating the potential for large hail, dangerous winds, and tornadoes.
Meanwhile, in South Texas, the danger was excessive heat, with the heat index forecast to approach 120 degrees Fahrenheit in some spots during the weekend. Parts of Texas, including Houston, have already dealt with severe storms and power outages in May that left residents vulnerable to high temperatures.
April and May have seen a surge in tornadoes, attributed to climate change. The National Weather Service reported that April saw the second-highest number of tornadoes ever recorded, with the US already 25% ahead of the average number of twisters in 2024.
The storm system is expected to move east, impacting Memorial Day weekend travels and possibly causing delays for the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The risk of severe weather is predicted to move into North Carolina and Virginia by Monday.
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