Deadly Tornadoes Strike South, Rescue Efforts Ongoing
At least 15 people in the southern United States have died after powerful tornadoes struck the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas overnight Saturday into Sunday, according to media reports citing authorities. AFP, quoted by Agerpres, reported this.
Rescue crews continued their search on Sunday for survivors amidst the rubble of buildings destroyed by the storms, which also caused widespread power outages. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed a total of 25 tornadoes touched down on Saturday.
One such tornado north of Dallas, Texas, claimed the lives of at least seven people, according to Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington. Sheriff Sappington warned on The Weather Channel that the death toll is expected to rise due to the "widespread devastation" caused by the storms, and search efforts are ongoing.
In western Oklahoma, another tornado reportedly killed two people. Local media reported the destruction of buildings, downed power lines, and broken tree branches throughout Arkansas, where authorities confirmed a total of five fatalities.
One person was also killed in Louisville, Kentucky, according to Mayor Craig Greenberg.
The severe weather delayed the start of the 108th Indianapolis 500. Organisers evacuated approximately 125,000 spectators from the stands before the race was ultimately held after a four-hour delay.
An estimated 490,000 homes remained without power on Sunday, stretching from Texas in the south to Ohio in the north, according to poweroutage.us. Storm warnings remained in effect on Sunday.
Tornadoes, a powerful and unpredictable weather phenomenon, are relatively common in the central and southern United States, AFP noted.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
