Esra Tekin
16 March 2025•Update: 17 March 2025
ISTANBUL
At least 34 people lost their lives because of severe weather in the central US, which has caused widespread destruction, including tornados, wildfires, and car accidents, according to local authorities.
In Missouri, at least 12 fatalities were reported on Saturday after more than a dozen tornadoes swept across the state.
Arkansas officials confirmed three deaths and 29 injuries from the storm that passed through the state.
Mississippi saw six deaths, three people missing, and at least 29 injured by Saturday night, prompting Governor Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency, according to The Washington Post.
In Kansas, eight people were killed when high winds and a dust storm caused a pileup of vehicles on Friday.
The Kansas Highway Patrol confirmed the deaths in a Saturday afternoon release.
In Oklahoma, one person died in a car crash caused by wildfire smoke, according to the state's governor.
In the Texas panhandle, four people were killed in crashes due to strong winds and dust storms, officials reported.
“We’ve had significant windstorms in the past, but nothing of this severity… It was horrible," Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
She described scenes where visibility was so low she could barely see beyond the hood of her car.
The tornado outbreak is expected to continue through Saturday night, with the highest risks affecting several states in the Deep South.
Since Friday morning, 58 tornadoes have been reported across the central and southern US, with some still active in areas stretching from eastern Mississippi to southern Tennessee.
