Damage from overnight tornadoes and flooding were reported in multiple states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas, with a dozen states in the crosshairs of more storms on Thursday and Friday.
Extensive damage and flooding in multiple states from severe storms
Significant damage overnight as tornadoes ripped through several states, including parts of central Oklahoma and Texas on Wednesday, while flooding forced evacuations in Arkansas on Thursday morning, the Weather Channel reported.
In the city of Seminole, Oklahoma, about 60 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, extensive tornado damage but no fatalities. Several people, including a baby, were rescued after being trapped in a storm shelter. All public schools were closed Thursday and Friday due to tornado damage to the city and surrounding areas, including homes, schools, churches, businesses, and infrastructure, KOCO reported.
Tornadoes also roared through Texas, leaving extensive structural damage in Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.
As of Thursday morning, 11,962 residents were without power in Oklahoma and 10,114 without electricity in Texas, according to poweroutage.us.
Ongoing rescues from flooding in Arkansas
In Arkansas, evacuations are underway, with more than 60 people rescued so far from flash flooding throughout the northwestern region of the state, as emergency crews used rescue boats to help residents and stranded drivers, 5 news online reports.
Flooding also extended into parts of southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas.
Severe thunderstorms and a few tornadoes Thursday and Friday
The threat of severe weather will loom over the eastern half of the US on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, at least a dozen states in the southern plains, South and Ohio Valley are in the crosshairs of potential severe weather and flash flooding. Damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes are possible.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the NOAA has issued a Level 3 enhanced risk of severe weather for parts of eastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana, and southern Arkansas. A Level 3 risk is defined as numerous, widespread severe, and intense storms with the possibility of likely significant wind damage, large hail between 1-2 inches, and a few isolated tornadoes.
On Friday, the storms move eastward with the risk of severe weather over at least a dozen states in the South, Southeast, and Ohio Valley.
The SPC has issued a Level 2 risk for parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. A Level 2 risk is defined as scattered severe storms with the possibility of damaging winds, 1-2 inch hail, and 1-2 tornadoes, not widespread and short-lived.
