Severe weather has left at least 18 people dead across Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas following overnight storms, authorities reported.
In Missouri, eleven fatalities were confirmed in the counties of Ozark, Butler, Wayne, and Jefferson, according to the state highway patrol. In Arkansas, three people were killed in Independence County, as reported by the state's emergency management division. Texas also reported four deaths, with authorities confirming the toll on Saturday.
At least 29 people were injured in eight counties across Arkansas, state emergency officials said.
Power outages are widespread, with nearly 239,000 customers in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Arkansas without electricity, according to Poweroutage.us.
Severe weather alerts are in effect across the country, with tornado watches issued for eight states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. On Saturday, a new tornado watch was issued for much of Mississippi and parts of eastern Louisiana until 6 p.m. CT, including cities like Jackson, Tupelo, Meridian, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
According to ABC, the National Weather Service has warned of an imminent tornado outbreak, with the potential for multiple intense and long-track tornadoes through the afternoon and evening. A tornado watch also remains in effect for parts of southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana until 1 p.m. CT, as severe storms move eastward, bringing the threat of strong tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.\
Heavy rainfall from slow-moving storms could lead to dangerous flash flooding in the hours ahead.
Emergency responders were assessing damage on Saturday morning, with daylight expected to reveal the full extent of the destruction. Robert Myers from Butler County's Emergency Management Agency stated that injured individuals were being treated at nearby hospitals, though no specific numbers were available. The Black River Coliseum has been opened as a shelter for those displaced by the storm.
A total of 23 tornadoes were reported overnight across Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, and Mississippi. Winds exceeded 80 mph, causing significant damage throughout the Midwest, from Missouri to Wisconsin.
The Storm Prediction Center has indicated that more significant tornadoes, some potentially violent and long-track, are expected, with high-risk areas including Hattiesburg, Jackson, Tuscaloosa, and Birmingham. The most dangerous tornado threat is anticipated from late morning to early afternoon in Louisiana and Mississippi, spreading to Alabama in the late afternoon and evening, with further risks extending into the western Florida panhandle and western Georgia through late Saturday night.
In anticipation of the severe weather, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency, effective noon Saturday.
The storms are expected to weaken as they move eastward on Sunday, affecting the East Coast from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic. The Southeast could experience damaging winds, large hail, and brief tornadoes in the afternoon, while the Northeast faces threats of heavy rain and strong winds into the evening and overnight.
This severe weather is part of a larger storm system that is also raising concerns over fire dangers and triggering red flag warnings across the Plains.