- President Trump promises assistance to impacted states, reports 36 fatalities.
- Missouri records the highest death toll among six affected states.
- Several states remain on alert due to potential wind and tornado threats.
Parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and other Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states are still under a National Weather Service watch for hazardous winds and tornadoes, with the storm-related fatalities from the weekend rising to 36 across six states.
In an announcement from the White House, President Donald Trump stated, “We are closely monitoring the tornadoes and storms. Tragically, 36 innocent lives have been lost, and countless others are suffering.”
He mentioned that the National Guard had been activated in Arkansas and promised support to both state and local authorities.
The severe weather system that affected the South and Midwest moved eastward on Sunday. More than 340,000 customers were without power in the impacted regions by late Sunday afternoon, as reported by PowerOutage.
Missouri experienced the highest number of fatalities, reporting 12 deaths across five counties, according to the state’s highway patrol on X. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe noted that one person remains missing, and extensive damage was reported across 27 counties.
Robbie Myers, emergency management director for Butler County, Missouri, shared that over 500 homes, a church, and a grocery store were entirely destroyed. He noted that a mobile home park was “completely leveled.”
“The devastation around here is overwhelming,” remarked local resident Rick Brittingham to Reuters from Butler County. “The trailer park up the street suffered fatalities. We can consider ourselves lucky; at least I still have a home.”
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves reported six deaths as a result of the storms: one in Covington County, two in Jefferson Davis County, and three in Walthall County.
Preliminary assessments indicated that 29 people were injured statewide, with storm damage affecting 21 counties, as stated by Reeves.
Arkansas reported three fatalities and 32 injuries due to the severe weather, according to the state’s Department of Emergency Management.
In a tragic accident attributed to a severe dust storm in Sherman County, Kansas, eight people lost their lives in a multi-vehicle collision involving over 50 cars, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported.
Alabama also saw two storm-related deaths, with Governor Kay Ivey noting damage in 52 of the state’s 67 counties.
Additionally, dust storm-related accidents near Amarillo, Texas, resulted in three deaths, as confirmed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
From Friday to midday Sunday, at least 39 tornadoes were reported, although the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center has yet to verify this count.
