A series of powerful storms swept through Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on Sunday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 11 lives and causing widespread destruction.
The storms, which included tornadoes, left a devastating trail of damage, obliterating homes and even destroying a truck stop where people sought shelter during the extreme weather event.
In Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, seven fatalities were reported after a tornado tore through a rural area close to a mobile home park on Saturday night. Additionally, storms caused significant damage in Oklahoma, where attendees at an outdoor wedding were injured. Tens of thousands of residents were left without power across the region.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington described the aftermath as a “trail of debris” with severe devastation. Tragically, among the deceased were two young children aged 2 and 5.
In Texas, three family members were found dead in their home near Valley View, a small community. Hugo Parra, a resident of Farmers Branch north of Dallas, recounted taking refuge with dozens of others in a gas station bathroom during the storm. He described the experience as harrowing, with winds so powerful they felt like they could tear the building apart.
Emergency services in Denton County, Texas, responded to multiple injuries, transporting victims to hospitals by both ambulance and helicopter. However, the full extent of injuries was not immediately known.
In Arkansas, at least two fatalities were reported, including a 26-year-old woman found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, Boone County. Another person died in Benton County, with several others sustaining injuries. Search and rescue efforts were ongoing in the affected areas.
These tragic events add to a series of severe weather incidents in the central United States in recent weeks. Tornadoes in Iowa earlier in the week claimed five lives and caused numerous injuries. The heightened tornado activity coincides with a particularly severe tornado season, which experts attribute in part to the effects of climate change.
In addition to the loss of life and property damage, the storms caused widespread disruption to transportation and infrastructure. In Denton County, Texas, a tornado overturned tractor-trailers on Interstate 35, bringing traffic to a standstill. A shelter was opened in the town of Sanger to accommodate displaced residents.
As dawn broke, aerial footage revealed the extent of the devastation, with many homes damaged or destroyed and residents assessing the wreckage. Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power in Oklahoma, where baseball-sized hail and injuries at an outdoor wedding added to the chaos.
Meteorologists issued urgent warnings throughout the night, urging residents to seek shelter as the storms moved across the region. In Texas, the Denton Fire Department responded to reports of multiple victims, some trapped, at a marina near Dallas. In Oklahoma, inaccessible roads and downed power lines prompted authorities in Claremore to announce the city’s closure due to the damage.
As the severe weather system continued its path eastward, disruptions were anticipated throughout the Memorial Day weekend. The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed due to approaching storms, with race fans evacuated from the venue. More severe weather was forecast for Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, with the risk extending into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday.
The recent spate of severe weather serves as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters.
