At least 32 people have died after tornadoes and severe storms swept through the central and southern U.S. New tornado warnings have been issued for Missouri and Tennessee, along with forecasts of lightning and strong winds.
The death toll rose after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported that eight people were killed in a chain-reaction crash caused by a dust storm in Sherman County, involving at least 50 vehicles, according to AP.
Missouri has recorded more fatalities than any other state, with at least 12 people killed, authorities said.
Officials in Arkansas reported that three people died in Independence County and that 29 were injured across eight counties as storms moved through the state.
“Tornado damage assessments are underway. First responders and rescue teams are on the ground,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who, along with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, declared a state of emergency.
The fatalities occurred as a massive storm system moving across the country triggered deadly dust storms and more than 100 wildfires.
Extreme weather conditions are expected to impact an area home to more than 100 million people.
Wind gusts of up to 130 kilometers per hour are predicted from the Canadian border to Texas.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota.
Evacuations have been ordered in some communities in Oklahoma, as more than 130 wildfires have been reported across the state.
The state patrol reported that winds were so strong they overturned several tractor-trailers.
The Storm Prediction Center stated that rapidly developing storms could produce tornadoes and hail the size of baseballs, with the greatest threat coming from hurricane-force winds, potentially reaching speeds of 160 kilometers per hour.
The regions at the highest risk extend from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia, and Florida, the center reported.
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Source: RTS