Cleanup continues after Texas' Lone Star State experiences deadliest tornado since 2015
Recovery efforts are continuing in parts of the Lone Star State of Texas after the worst tornadoes since 2015. .
At least 26 people were killed in an outbreak of severe weather over the Memorial Day weekend that triggered tornadoes, tennis ball-sized hail, damaging winds and power outages for thousands across the heartland.
The worst of the storm occurred Saturday night, with at least 20 tornadoes seen on radar or physically in the area, according to the Fox Forecast Center. Storm damage was reported in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alabama. At least a dozen people died in these storms.
That was followed by a wave of dangerous storms on Sunday that caused more tornadoes, widespread damage and more deaths in several states.
Texas tornado kills 7 people, including 2 children
Some of the most devastating damage in Texas occurred outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where seven people died and more than 100 were injured, Cook County Sheriff Ray Sappington said at a news conference. The sheriff said two children were among the dead.
It was the deadliest tornado in Texas since 2015. Another tornado that devastated Montague County was also given a preliminary rating of EF-2.
Texas suffers worst tornado since 2015, killing 7 children
Tornado survivor says: 'I've been in Texas most of my life and this is one of the worst storms I've ever seen'
Tommy Kerr from Cook County, Texas joins FOX Weather to talk about how he and his wife survived one of the worst storms he has ever experienced. The NWS rated the tornado as an EF-2.
Several people were injured at a tourist center and Shell gas station off Interstate 35 near Valley View, where dozens of people sought shelter during the tornado.
Denton County officials said a tornado moved into the northern part of the county late Saturday, damaging homes, overturning RVs and downing power lines in the area.
Severe damage was reported to the Ray Roberts Lake dock and RV.
The Denton Fire Department said multiple victims were trapped inside the home and significant damage was reported along the Denton-Cook County line.
An 18-wheeler overturned on Interstate 35, downing power lines and disrupting traffic for hours, county officials said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a state of disaster emergency for four counties.
WATCH: Two women survive deadly Texas tornado as it cuts across the road they were traveling on
Texas community in recovery mode after deadliest tornado in nine years
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reporter Dan Godwin joins FOX Weather in Valley View, Texas, where a community is still in turmoil after a tornado devastated parts of the town and killed eight neighbors.
Oklahoma reports 2 deaths during storm
Part of this severe storm was an isolated supercell that began in northeastern Oklahoma and continued along the Missouri-Arkansas border, causing massive damage along the way.
In northeastern Oklahoma, a tornado struck Mayes County, killing two people and injuring several others, emergency management officials said. The NWS investigation team analyzed the damage and initially rated it as EF-3.
Mayes County Emergency Management Director Johnny Janzen said most of the damage occurred near East 427 Road and West 470 Road.
Arkansas storm kills at least 8
Officials have confirmed at least eight deaths in Arkansas related to the storm.
At least one possible tornado and wind gusts exceeding 60 mph caused damage in Bentonville, Arkansas. Benton County Judge Barry Morin said at a news conference that officials have confirmed multiple injuries and at least one death in the eastern part of the county.
The Baxter County Sheriff's Office said one person was killed and several others were injured due to the severe weather.
The NWS rated the tornado that devastated Boone County an EF-3.
Tornado hits town, killing at least 8 in Arkansas
First look at tornado damage in Rogers, Arkansas
A tornado ripped through Rogers, Arkansas, early in the morning. Residents are waking up to scenes of destruction.
Harrison city officials say a possible tornado touched down in the Bellefonte area and crossed Highway 65 before destroying homes in the Alvey area and killing a young woman. Other injuries were reported in the damaged house.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas said the storm killed two people.
Arkansas officials confirmed three more storm-related deaths on Monday but did not provide any details about the victims.
Mayor of Rogers, Arkansas, residents trapped by tornado
Rogers Mayor Greg Hines said his home was one of the homes cut off by debris from an overnight tornado in Arkansas. At least one person died during the severe weather outbreak.
Kentucky reports at least 5 deaths
In Kentucky, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that Saturday night's storm killed one person, injured several others and caused structural damage to several buildings.
Another person was killed when a tree fell on a home in Mercer County, Kentucky, during another episode of severe weather Sunday night, according to Mercer County Emergency Management Director Brad Cox. Another resident of the house was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In an update Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed three additional storm-related deaths, one each in Hadden, Hopkins and Caldwell counties.
Beshear declared a state of emergency in five Kentucky counties.
Rare 'tornado emergency' issued Sunday near Eddyville, Kentucky
Video captured a tornado on the ground near Eddyville, Kentucky, on Sunday after the National Weather Service issued a rare “tornado emergency” for the small city about 30 miles east of Paducah.
At least 1 person dies in Alabama
Early Monday, Alabama's Mountain Brook Fire Department, Mountain Brook Police Department and Homewood Fire Department responded to a large tree that fell on a residential building during severe weather. Officials said the building was severely damaged, leaving at least one person dead.
Officials responded to a large tree that fell on a residential building during severe weather early Monday, May 27, 2024, in Mount Brook, Alabama. (Mountain Brook Fire Department)
Missouri reports 1 death
Storm in Missouri kills at least one person.
A man was crushed to death after a storm blew down a tree on Sunday morning, crushing the tent where he was sleeping, authorities in Sikeston said.
18-year-old girl killed in North Carolina
North Carolina officials also reported deaths related to the storm that hit the state over the weekend. Clay County EMS and Clay County Fire Department were dispatched to the Penland Point community Monday morning to respond to a tree that had fallen on a camper trailer.
Upon arrival, emergency services discovered a deceased 18-year-old girl inside the damaged trailer. The victim, a high school student from Haywood County, North Carolina, was visiting a memorial event with friends in the Clay County area when a large tree was uprooted by straight-line winds of 50-70 mph and landed on a trailer. .
At least 1 person dies in Virginia
The Nelson County Sheriff's Office, about 35 miles southwest of Charlottesville, Virginia, confirmed that a 26-year-old man was knocked down by a thunderstorm with winds reaching 60 mph on Sunday night and a branch hit the tree he was taking shelter from. vehicle, resulting in the death of a 26-year-old man.
