Widespread devastation following powerful storms across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, has claimed the lives of at least 15 individuals and left a trail of damage in its wake. The storms not only devastated homes but also destroyed a truck stop which had been a refuge for many during the harsh weather that has been plaguing the central United States.
Cooke County in Texas, located near the Oklahoma border, experienced seven fatalities. On Saturday night, one such tornado tore through the countryside surrounding a mobile home park. Additionally, the storms wreaked havoc in Oklahoma, leading to the demise of two individuals, damaging numerous homes and causing injuries at an exterior wedding event.
Power outages were widespread, affecting tens of thousands of inhabitants throughout the region. “The devastation is pretty severe – there’s a trail of debris left behind,” noted Cooke County Sheriff, Ray Sappington. Residents injured in the storms in the Texas county of Denton were transported to hospitals by both helicopter and ambulance. However, the total number of injuries is still to be determined, according to officials.
Among those who perished in Texas were three family members, discovered in a house located near the small settlement of Valley View.
Arkansas also reported fatalities, including a 26-year-old woman who tragically found dead outside her destroyed home in Olvey, Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen from the county’s Emergency Management Office. One more person died in Benton County, Arkansas. County Communications Director, Melody Kwok, also reported several injuries.
Mayes County in Oklahoma also experienced the loss of two individuals in the storms. The details about these victims are not available immediately, as stated by Mike Dunham, the county’s Deputy Director of Emergency Management.
These recent storms continue an unfortunate trend of dangerous weather in the nation’s midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa earlier this week resulted in the loss of at least five lives and injured several others. – AP