At Least 34 Killed as Tornado Hits Southeast US

9 hours ago 15

March 16, 2025 | 03:59 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least 34 people have died in the United States (US) - including 12 in Missouri alone - after a deadly tornado struck several states in the southeast, flipping cars and flattening homes from Friday to Sunday morning, March 16, 2025.

As reported by The Star, in Kansas, at least eight people were killed after more than 55 vehicles were involved in accidents due to the dust storm.

More than 170,000 properties were without power in five states - including Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois - on Saturday night, according to PowerOutage trackers.

Further severe weather is expected in the area, with tornado watches issued in eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee, and western Florida.

Six deaths were reported in Mississippi by Governor Tate Reeves as several tornadoes swept across the state.

Flash flood and flood warnings have also been issued in central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana, and western Tennessee, as well as parts of Alabama and Arkansas, as severe weather continues to batter the southeastern US.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said flash flooding from this severe weather could be deadly.

Several tornado warnings were also issued across Alabama on Saturday night.

NWS warned of "long track to violent tornadoes" in those areas, describing the situation as "extremely dangerous".

Mike Kehoe, the governor of Missouri, said the state had been "devastated by severe storms and tornadoes, leaving homes destroyed and lives lost".

The Missouri Emergency Management Agency said initial reports indicated 19 tornadoes had hit 25 counties so far.

Arkansas had seen three deaths and 29 injuries - prompting Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to declare a state of emergency.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency, while Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt confirmed one person had died in the state.

A dust storm that caused three deaths in Texas on Friday night led to a pileup of around 38 vehicles.

"This is the worst I've ever seen," said Sergeant Cindy Barkley, of the state's public safety department, to reporters. "We didn't know they were all together until the dust settled."

Further deaths have been reported in Texas.

The destructive storms sparked over 100 wildfires in several central states and overturned several semi-trucks, CBS reported.

In Oklahoma, one of the fires, known as the 840 Road Fire, has burned 27,500 hectares and is not yet under control, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Services. The agency has issued a "red flag" warning for the state's panhandle area, indicating extreme fire danger.

Tornadoes form when warm, moist air rises, mixes with cold air aloft to form thunderclouds.

Winds blowing from different directions cause the air to rotate, creating a swirling vortex that moves upward.

Four states where tornado-related deaths have been confirmed in the past day are located on a path frequently hit by the weather phenomenon.

It has led this swath of the US to be dubbed unofficially as Tornado Alley due to its ideal geography for tornado formation.

In 2024, 54 people died in tornado-related incidents. Nine died in Texas. There were eight in Oklahoma, five in Arkansas, and one in Missouri.

The peak tornado season in Tornado Alley is from May to June - but meteorologists warn that tornadoes can occur at any time throughout the year.

Editor's Choice: 5 Biggest and Deadliest Tornadoes in the World

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