By Isabelle Wilson-
A series of powerful storms ravaged central and southern parts of the United States over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, resulting in at least 22 fatalities and extensive damage. The storms, which caused significant destruction and power outages, impacted Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
The severe weather coincided with an oppressive early-season heatwave, setting temperature records from south Texas to Florida. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch stretching from North Carolina to Maryland.
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In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and reported five deaths in the state. Among the victims was a 54-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while clearing fallen trees in Caldwell County.
Texas faced substantial devastation, with seven deaths reported in Cooke County after a tornado struck a mobile home park. Arkansas also suffered heavily, with eight fatalities across the state.
In Oklahoma, two people lost their lives in Mayes County, including guests at an outdoor wedding.
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The small town of Charleston, Kentucky, was directly hit by a tornado on Sunday night. The tornado, which appeared to have stayed on the ground for 40 miles, left the town in ruins. Rob Linton, the fire chief of nearby Dawson Springs, described the scene: “Trees down everywhere. Houses moved. Power lines are down. No utilities whatsoever – no water, no power.”
In Hopkins County, Kentucky, areas around the community of Barnsley, still recovering from a 2021 tornado, were hit again on Sunday night. Nick Bailey, the county’s emergency management director, expressed the community’s distress: “There were a lot of people that were just getting their lives put back together and then this. Almost the same spot, the same houses and everything.”
Power outages were widespread, with more than 400,000 customers affected across the eastern US on Monday afternoon. Kentucky alone reported around 125,000 outages, while twelve states experienced at least 10,000 outages each, according to PowerOutage.us.
President Joe Biden offered condolences to the families of the victims and assured that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting damage assessments. He has been in contact with governors to determine the necessary federal support.
This tragic weekend continues a grim trend of severe weather in the nation’s midsection. Tornadoes in Iowa last week resulted in at least five deaths and dozens of injuries, while storms killed eight people in Houston earlier this month. April saw the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the US.
Harold Brooks, a senior scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, attributes the string of tornadoes to a persistent pattern of warm, moist air. This air mass, situated at the northern edge of a heat dome, has brought summer-like temperatures to late May, exacerbating the severity of the storms..
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