“Deadly Storms Sweep Across Eastern US, Leaving Destruction in Their Wake”

Powerful storms wreaked havoc across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas over the Memorial Day weekend, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. At least 21 people lost their lives, hundreds were injured, homes were obliterated, and communities were devastated.

As the weather system moved into Georgia, the Storm Prediction Center issued a severe thunderstorm watch for over 7 million people in the state and South Carolina. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to hit the East Coast, with intense heat impacting parts of the south.

Over 120 million people are under extreme weather alerts, with officials urging residents to take precautions. The weekend saw weather-related deaths in four states, with Arkansas reporting eight fatalities, Texas with seven, Oklahoma and Kentucky each with two.

Currently, more than 187,000 customers are without power in Kentucky, 84,000 in Alabama, 74,000 in West Virginia, 70,000 in Missouri, and 63,000 in Arkansas. The Indianapolis 500 race was delayed due to a storm, forcing the evacuation of 125,000 fans. In Oklahoma, Claremore officials declared the city “shut down” due to inaccessible roads and downed power lines.

The hardest-hit areas were a corridor stretching from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency citing widespread wind damage and tornadoes.

In Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, seven people lost their lives, including two children aged two and five. Around 100 individuals were injured, and over 200 homes were destroyed by winds reaching 135mph.

The recent severe weather in Texas follows a series of storms that claimed eight lives in Houston earlier this month. Residents described harrowing experiences, with one man recounting how a tornado tore through a truck stop where he sought shelter with dozens of others.

In neighboring states, Oklahoma and Arkansas also suffered casualties and property damage. The string of tornadoes and severe weather events across the country has experts attributing the phenomenon to a persistent pattern of warm, moist air.

The recent devastation serves as a grim reminder of the unpredictable and destructive nature of severe weather, as millions of Americans remain on high alert for further storms and potential hazards.