PIEDMONT, Mo. — Destructive tornadoes and fierce winds ravaged homes, flattened schools, and overturned semitractor-trailers, as a formidable storm system unleashed chaos across the central and southern U.S., resulting in the deaths of at least 33 people.
Dakota Henderson, a resident of Missouri, recounted the harrowing experience of finding five bodies within the debris Friday night near what was left of his aunt’s house in the devastated Wayne County. According to authorities, scattered tornadoes claimed the lives of at least twelve individuals in the state.
“It was a truly horrific night,” Henderson said Saturday while standing near the shattered remains of his aunt’s home, from where he managed to rescue her through a window of the sole surviving room. “The loss of life and destruction to the community is profoundly disturbing.”
The formidable storm was described as having a “high risk” by weather experts, believed to be responsible for hazardous dust storms in the central U.S., icy conditions in the north, and severe thunderstorms over the weekend, even extending to the West Coast.
Officials were in the process of sorting through extensive tornado damage. Jim Akers, Butler County Coroner in Missouri, remarked on the devastation, describing a man killed as living in an “unrecognizable home,” reduced to “just a field of debris.”
“The floor was inverted,” he explained. “We found ourselves walking on the walls.”
In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves confirmed that six individuals had lost their lives across three counties, with three others unaccounted for as the storms traversed further east into Alabama, causing structural damage and blocking roads.
Three fatalities were recorded in Arkansas, prompting Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to declare a state of emergency. In Alabama’s Dallas County, Sheriff Michael L. Granthum reported one person had died due to storm-related causes.
Anticipating the storm moving eastward, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency. On early Sunday morning, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency shared updates on their social media regarding a tornado watch in southeast Georgia, based on information from the National Weather Service.
Responding to the alert of potential tornadoes, hail, and winds between 50 to 70 mph (80 to 112 kph), Kemp issued a message, offering prayers for those impacted and those in the storm’s impending path.
“We will maintain close cooperation with state and local authorities to evaluate and respond to this weather event’s damage and needs,” Kemp stated.
Earlier high winds within the system fueled dust storms, claiming nearly a dozen lives on Friday. In Kansas, a highway pileup involved at least 50 vehicles and resulted in eight deaths, according to the state highway patrol. Meanwhile, authorities reported three additional fatalities due to car accidents amid a dust storm in Amarillo, Texas.
Approximately 100 million people in the region are at risk of being affected by severe weather conditions, facing blizzard-like adverse weather in colder northern areas while southern regions are at an increased risk for wildfires due to warm, dry winds.
Oklahoma faced numerous evacuations as authorities reported over 130 fires, damaging or destroying nearly 300 homes statewide. Gov. Kevin Stitt, who disclosed that he personally lost a home on a ranch northeast of Oklahoma City, mentioned during a Saturday briefing that approximately 266 square miles (689 square kilometers) had burned.
Farther north, the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings applicable early Saturday for far western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota, forecasting snow accumulations between 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters), with possibilities of snowfall reaching up to one foot (30 centimeters). Winds were expected to create whiteout conditions.
Experts note that March commonly experiences such wide-ranging weather extremes.
Substantial tornado activity persisted into late Saturday, particularly affecting regions from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi across Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle, as assessed by the Storm Prediction Center.
Bailey Dillon, 24, alongside her fiancé, Caleb Barnes, observed a massive tornado half a mile (0.8 kilometers) from their front porch in Tylertown, Mississippi, near Paradise Ranch RV Park. Afterward, they ventured to assist, capturing footage of the damaged environment, encountering splintered trees, leveled structures, and capsized vehicles.
“The destruction was devastating,” Dillon described. “Several cabins, RVs, and campers were overturned. It was utter devastation.”
Paradise Ranch confirmed via social media that all staff and guests had been accounted for and were safe; however, Dillon emphasized that the impact extended beyond the RV park.
“Nearby homes and buildings were obliterated,” she said. “Schools and other structures are completely gone.”
Some images depicting the severe weather conditions went viral on the internet.
Tad and Richard Peters had parked their pickup at a fuel station in Rolla, Missouri, on Friday night when the sound of tornado sirens and the sight of other motorists leaving the interstate prompted them to consider the storm’s arrival.
“Is it approaching? It’s here. It’s arrived,” Tad Peters was heard exclaiming on a video. “Look at all the debris. Ohhh. My God, we’re caught in a tornado…” His father then sealed the windows.
Initially headed to Indiana for a weightlifting competition, the two decided to return to Norman, Oklahoma, located about six hours away, ultimately encountering the aftermath of wildfires.
