A cross-country storm system tore through the South and the Midwest over the weekend, accompanied by tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires. Severe damage was reported in at least eight states.
Number of reported deaths from storms and fires
Officials reported at least 40 deaths across seven states that have been attributed to severe weather in the South and Midwest.
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Missouri
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 12 deaths from tornadoes and storms that caused widespread damage in parts of the state.
Crews removed a tree from a home in Florissant.
Tornado damage in Bridgeton.
Keith Allen and his wife retreated to their basement when tornado sirens blared in Florissant. His bedroom was damaged.
Mississippi
Officials said that six people died in Southern Mississippi. The state experienced a dozen tornadoes over 48 hours, including one with a 70-mile-long track.
Homes destroyed near Tylertown.
A driver passes by toppled trees in Tylertown, Miss.
Oklahoma
Dry vegetation and fierce storm winds fueled wildfires that swept through Oklahoma. Across the state, nearly 300 homes and other structures were destroyed, Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference on Saturday.
Firefighters battled a blaze in Stillwater, as it began to consume a neighborhood.
Property ablaze in Stillwater.
Homes destroyed by wildfires in Mannford.
Kansas
Officials in Kansas said eight people were killed after a dust storm caused a pileup crash involving more than 50 vehicles.
Arkansas
The storm system caused widespread destruction in Cave City.
One tornado that tore through Cave City flattened neighborhoods there. Officials confirmed three deaths in the state as of Saturday evening.
Storm damage in Cave City.
Texas
Severe winds also produced dust storms in Texas that led to three dozen car crashes in the region around Lubbock and Amarillo, killing at least four people. Emergency crews in Texas were also battling multiple blazes across the state.
Vehicles overturned on Texas Interstate 27 near Lubbock.
Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama said on Sunday that there have been reports of damage in 52 of the state’s 67 counties. Three deaths were confirmed as of Sunday.
Volunteers with the Red Cross assessed damage to homes in Calera.
Volunteers helped remove debris from a home in Calera.
Part of the roof at Calera Baptist Church was swept away in the storm.
Louisiana
A tornado barreled through Kentwood, near the border with Mississippi.
The storm tore apart a home in Kentwood.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
