A powerful line of storms hit the Midwest and southern United States on Friday night, causing a series of tornadoes that left a trail of destruction and at least 13 dead in the states of Missouri and Texas.
The passage of the tornadoes swept cities throughout the night – the most dangerous and deadly moment for a tornado outbreak.
The magnitude of the damage was not clear in the early hours of Saturday morning (15), when meteorologists of the National Meteorology Service issued several tornado alerts and the radar lit with severe storms from Wisconsin to Mississippi.
Tornadoes are part of a large low pressure system that crosses the country and has killed at least six people so far, amid a dust storm that spreads flames of forest fires.
According to the assessment of meteorologists, the storm will gain new strength and aim at the southeast of the country, with the highest possible risk of severe tornadoes and storms on Saturday night.
Missouri Deaths
At least ten people died in Missouri After the passage of the tornadoes between Friday and Saturday.
Six deaths Wayne County were reported on Saturday morning, according to Wayne County Emergency Manager, Waylon Freeze, and Missouri Highway Patrol. Three people died in a camp in the county, while two others died in a second camp after a camper fell into a river. In addition, one person died at River Valley Campground near the Bollinger County border, according to Sergeant Clark Parrott of Troop and Missouri Highway Patrol.
Missouri Highway Patrol reported A fatality in Jefferson County .
Two fatalities were reported earlier In the Bakersfield area in Ozark County, where emergency teams were working to evaluate the damage and help those affected, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In Butler County, a tornado reached poplar bluff, killing a person and hurting several other told Butler’s County Emergency Management Director, Robbie Myers, CNN .
Deaths in Texas
In the center of the US, the wind gusts arrived 144 km/h between the late morning and night in parts of New Mexico and the plains – as strong as a category 1 hurricane.
At least Three people died On Friday in vehicle collisions in Texas caused by the low visibility of storms, according to local authorities.
Two fatalities were reported in separate collisions in Parmer County in the southwest Texas Panhandle, Sergeant Cindy Barkley of Texas’s Public Security Department told CNN on Friday night. Another driver died in an accident at Interstate 40 in Gray County, she said.
Each fatal accident involved more than two vehicles, according to Barkley, and all three accidents occurred “due to the strong winds that made the dirt fly.” Another accident involving approximately 38 vehicles caused several wounds in Canyon, Texas, but none is fatal, she said.
More than 130 fires in Oklahoma
Rapid fires began to emerge in Oklahoma and Texas on Friday afternoon, fed by strong winds amid extremely dry conditions. Withdrawal orders were still in force in parts of Oklahoma, while the state fought more than 130 forest fires in 44 counties, according to the Oklahoma Emergency Management Department.
A rapidly spread fire in the western part of Stillwater, Oklahoma, also stimulated evacuations, the city said. Withdrawals were temporarily necessary in Lake Tanglewood, Texas, around Amarillo, according to the Randall County Sheriff Office. In Texas Panhandle, a fire in Roberts County burned about 23,000 acres and is only 50% contained, according to the Texas A&M forest service.
What to wait on Saturday
Another round of severe storms will take place on Saturday morning and start what will probably be an outbreak of tornadoes even more dangerous than Friday, with at least 22 tornadoes in the center of the US and south. Violent EF4 or stronger category made, capable of traveling long distances, are possible in the deep south.
“Several significant tornadoes” are expected from Saturday to Sunday (16) in the deep south, according to the storm forecast center, which issued a rare level 5 of 5 high risk for severe storms for day in Alabama and Mississippi.
This is the first high risk emitted to severe storms since last May and only the fifth in the last five years, signaling unusual confidence that Saturday can be a devastating day.
It is also because the number of tornadoes is not the only concern. Those who form can be exceptionally strong and lasting, increasing the risk of destruction and death.
Meteorologists warned that Saturday tornadoes can be violent, or EF4 or stronger. Only 1% of all tornadoes are so strong, but they are responsible for 66% of all tornado deaths, according to Storm Prediction Center.
Dangerous storms will start shooting early on Saturday than Friday, starting in eastern Louisiana and Mississippi over the end of the morning and then progressing to the east throughout the day by Deep South. They will become more widespread and dangerous in the afternoon as they pass through Mississippi and Alabama.
Storms will also be capable of destructive wind gusts with hurricane force greater than 119 km/h, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane, and large hail.
Storms will continue until the end of the night and at night and will impact places like Atlanta after dusk. Night tornadoes are almost double the likelihood of being deadly than those that occur during the day, discovered a 2022 study, such as Friday’s tornado outbreak proved.
This content was originally published in storms and tornadoes leaves at least 13 dead in the US on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
