US: Tornados hit Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, killing 5 including infant
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In Oklahoma, which witnessed massive devastation and the loss of five lives, an executive order was signed by the governor announcing a disaster emergency
Five people were killed, including an infant, and several others were injured in multiple wild tornadoes that created havoc in the central United States over the weekend.
The residents of Oklahoma and nearby Great Plains states woke up to scenes of ravage and devastation as reports emerged of closed highways, power blackouts and structural damage. Throughout Saturday night, 35 tornadoes destroyed the area.
The weather system carried 35 tornadoes from northern Texas and Oklahoma to Missouri on Sunday (April 28), after 78 tornadoes were reported mostly in Nebraska and Iowa on Friday (April 26) and levelled homes and buildings in six states, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
Catastrophic damage in Sulphur, Oklahoma, after an overnight tornado.
— Skyleigh Heinen-Uhrich (@Sky_Lee_1) April 28, 2024
Sending my thoughts and prayers to this community, these tornados are devastating!
pic.twitter.com/BP9Nu4mwvG
In the storms, seven inches (18 centimetres) of rainfall was recorded within hours in some places and meteorologists issued warnings of extreme weather, which includes flash flooding, hail and more tornadoes.
Oklahoma Governor declares 30-day state of emergency
In south-central Oklahoma, Sulphur was especially harshly hit late on Sunday (April 28) as images and videos shared on social media platforms showed multiple buildings ripped apart.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, speaking at a press conference, said that the destruction in Sulphur, where one woman died because of the tornado, was the worst he had seen in his six years in office.
"It seems like every business in downtown has been destroyed now," the governor said, adding, "Thank goodness... there weren't a lot of people here at 10:30 at night."
Aerial views of the devastation in Sulphur, OK after a tornado tore through the town last night. Search and rescue still ongoing. Multiple tornadoes in Oklahoma last night with 2 reported fatalities in Holdenville at this time. Please keep the people impacted in your thoughts and… pic.twitter.com/h8IizhEDto
— Charles Peek (@CharlesPeekWX) April 28, 2024
"Definitely the most damage since I've been governor that I've seen. I've seen a lot of damage. I've been around the state for, this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable," Stitt said.
The state's Department of Emergency Management (OEM) said that at least two people were killed in the Oklahoma town of Holdenville, as the local media reported a four-month-old baby also died.
According to OEM, a fourth person died on a highway in Marietta, where several battered cars were lying over each other and two semi-trucks had overturned.
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A man who was earlier reported to be injured in Iowa later died at the hospital, his family confirmed while speaking to local outlet KETV NewsWatch 7.
The National Weather Service stated in their preliminary investigation that the tornadoes which hit Sulphur and Marietta were at least EF-3 on the five-level Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Stitt announced a 30-day state of emergency for expediting aid to 12 counties which were the hardest hit and that he had connected with the federal authorities for assistance.
There was a power outage in more than 25,000 homes in Texas and more than 19,000 in Oklahoma, according to poweroutage.us.
(With inputs from agencies)
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