Tornado threat moves south after central states hit by massive storm
The threat of tornadoes moved east into the Mississippi Valley and the south on Saturday, just a day after a massive storm's winds damaged buildings, started dust storms that caused fatal crashes and fanned more than 100 wildfires in several central states.
Multiple tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday. Winds of up to 80 mph were forecast from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfires in warmer and drier areas to the south.
Three people were killed Friday in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo County, Texas, according to state Department of Public Safety Sgt. Cindy Barkley. One car pileup involved an estimated 38 cars.
"It’s the worst I’ve ever seen," Barkley said. "We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled."
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Officials ordered evacuations in parts of Oklahoma amid more than 130 fires reported across the state. Officials said winds were so strong that several tractor-trailers were toppled.
The severe storm threat was forecast to continue into the weekend with a high chance of tornadoes and damaging winds Saturday in Mississippi and Alabama. Heavy rain could lead to flash flooding in some parts of the East Coast on Sunday.
The National Weather Service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Officials in St. Louis County declared a state of emergency.
Several buildings were damaged in the storm, including a strip mall in Rolla, Missouri, as a tornado was reported in the area Friday afternoon.
The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could result in twisters and hail as large as baseballs, although the greatest threat would be straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with possible gusts of 100 mph.
Tornadoes were expected Saturday in parts of the central Gulf Coast and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley, the National Weather Service said.
The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi, including Jackson and Hattiesburg, and parts of Alabama, including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, would be at a high risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.
Wildfires in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly in the face of warm, dry weather and strong winds.
Evacuations were ordered Friday for some areas in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.
A fire in Roberts County, Texas, quickly grew from less than a square mile to an estimated 32.8 square miles, the Texas A&M University Forest Service said on X. Crews managed to stop the blaze from advancing by Friday evening.
About 60 miles to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles before crews stopped its advance in the afternoon.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center in response to several fast-moving fires that led to evacuations in the western town of Leedey.
The National Weather Service said extremely dangerous fires were seen northeast of Oklahoma City, near Stillwater. Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders that included homes, hotels and a Walmart.
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Officials urged people in some areas of Camden County in central Missouri to evacuate because of wildfires. The State Highway Patrol warned that the fires were nearing homes and businesses.
Roughly 120 miles of Interstate 70 in western Kansas were temporarily shut down over blowing dust and limited visibility.
High winds also knocked out power to more than 216,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.
The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday. Snow accumulations of three to six inches were expected, and up to a foot is possible.
Winds gusting to 60 mph were predicted to cause whiteout conditions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.