The death toll in power storms that hit the central United States rose to 19 on Monday. Hundreds were left without power and several houses were damaged in the powerful storm that swept through Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
According to officials, seven fatalities were reported in Cooke County in Texas, near the Oklahoma border. “It’s just a trail of debris left. The devastation is pretty severe,” Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said.
The dead included two children, aged two and five, and three members of a family, the sheriff said.
According to officials, the death toll is likely to rise as the relief and rescue efforts are underway. Several people were reported missing as well.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday said that about 100 people were injured by the Saturday tornado. The exact toll was “hard to tell with certainty,” reported CBS News.
Over 200 houses as well as other buildings were destroyed and more than 100 others were damaged, Abbott said. “I’d be shocked if those numbers do not increase,” the governor added.
The powerful tornado had overturned vehicles and shut down a stretch of highway in the greater Dallas area.
Many people, who suffered injuries, were transported to hospitals via air ambulance.
More than 4,70,000 people were left without power in states stretching from Texas to Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
At least eight people were reportedly killed in Arkansas, according to Daniel Bolen of the county’s emergency management office.
Three people died in Benton County of Arkansas, the Arkansas Office of Emergency Management confirmed to CBS News.
Widespread damage was reported in Claremore as well, where 23 people were injured.
At least two deaths have been confirmed in Kentucky, according to a statement on social media by Governor Andy Beshear.
Red Flag fire warnings were also in place in West Texas, all of New Mexico and parts of Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado in the wake of the extreme US weather.
The system causing the latest severe weather was expected to move east over the rest of the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Also, more severe storms were predicted in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. A tornado emergency was in effect in Kentucky on Sunday night.
The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said.
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