Millions of people in several states, including Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, are facing dangerous weather conditions such as tornadoes, high winds, flooding, and hail as a severe weather outbreak continues into its sixth week. Around 18 million people are at risk for severe storms in areas across the Central Plains on Monday night, with cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, Wichita Falls, and Des Moines particularly vulnerable. The storm risk extends to 25 million people across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Tennessee Valley on Tuesday.
Multiple tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service on Monday night, with some spotted in Oklahoma’s Garfield and Blaine counties, as well as in Smithville, Tennessee. Areas like Osage, Oklahoma, located about 38 miles west of Tulsa, were under a tornado emergency statement due to the presence of a large, extremely dangerous tornado on the ground. Despite the storms, there were no reported injuries or deaths in the affected areas, with only minor property damage such as outbuildings being reported.
In Southeast Texas, heavy flooding has caused significant problems, with rescue crews conducting numerous rescues amid rising waters. Governor Greg Abbott announced that severe weather had already resulted in three deaths in Texas, including a 5-year-old boy swept away by floodwaters in Johnson County, Lt. James “Jimmy” Waller who lost his life in a tornado in Trinity County, and an unidentified man swept away in Bosque County. Abbott described the situation as heart-wrenching and highlighted the extensive impact of the severe weather on the region.
The impact of the severe weather was felt in areas like Houston, where police used jet skis to rescue a man and three dogs from 8 feet of water. Abbott provided updates on the damage, noting that fewer than 7,000 utility customers were without power after a peak of 160,000 outages, around 800 homes were damaged, and multiple state roads remained closed due to high water and storm damage. Structural damage was described as catastrophic, with recovery efforts expected to pose significant challenges for affected residents as homes and cars remained flooded.
In the days leading up to the severe weather outbreak, areas northeast of Houston received over 23 inches of rain, while northeastern Harris County experienced rainfall ranging from 6 to 17 inches. Recovery efforts in flooded areas were ongoing, with officials expressing concern about the long-term impact on affected residents, some of whom may not be able to return to their homes for extended periods. The severe weather conditions have had a wide-ranging impact across multiple states, prompting authorities to issue warnings and emergency statements to ensure the safety of residents in the affected areas.
