Deadly Memorial Day Weekend Storms Kill 21 In 4 U.S. States
Over the Memorial Day weekend, a series of severe thunderstorms,
including tornadoes, wreaked havoc across the Southern Plains and the Ozark
Mountains, resulting in at least 21 fatalities across four states. As of Monday
afternoon, state emergency authorities reported eight deaths in Arkansas, seven
in Texas, four in Kentucky, and two in Oklahoma. The destructive storms also
left a trail of wreckage, damaging hundreds of buildings.
The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm
watches for parts of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania until Monday evening,
affecting over 30 million people as the storm system moved toward the
Northeast. In response to the severe weather, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear
declared a state of emergency early Monday. The storms inflicted widespread
damage across Kentucky, impacting nearly 100 state highways and roads.
In North Texas, near the Oklahoma border, a powerful tornado
struck on Saturday night, killing seven people, including a 2-year-old and a
5-year-old, and injuring nearly 100 others, according to Governor Greg Abbott.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed at least eight fatalities in
her state, including a person who died due to lack of oxygen when the power
went out.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences and spoke with
the governors of the affected states, offering federal support. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was actively conducting damage assessments
alongside state and local agencies. Biden directed federal agencies to provide
necessary assistance.
The storms caused extensive power outages, leaving hundreds
of thousands of Americans without electricity. In Kentucky alone, over 160,000
customers were affected, with restoration efforts expected to take several days
in some areas, as noted by Governor Beshear.
The National Weather Service warned of more severe weather
on the horizon, with storms anticipated to move through the Ohio and Tennessee
valleys. These storms are expected to bring damaging winds, large hail, more
tornadoes, and heavy downpours capable of causing flash floods.
This extreme weather follows closely on the heels of a
devastating tornado that struck an Iowa town days earlier, killing four people,
and additional tornadoes that touched down in Texas last week. As the U.S.
braces for what is predicted to be an "extraordinary" 2024 Atlantic
hurricane season starting next Saturday, communities are on high alert for
further potential weather disasters.
