What we know
- At least 40 people have died across Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi as powerful storm systems swept through the Midwest and the South.
- The deadly storms that ravaged much of the South and the Midwest this weekend are heading east today.
- According to preliminary reports, at least 557 storms were reported Friday and 135 were reported yesterday. At least 32 of Friday's storms and 34 of yesterday's storms were tornadoes, per reports.
- The storms have caused deaths linked to wildfires in Oklahoma, where over 100 people were injured, injured dozens in Arkansas and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power.
The storm that wreaked weekend havoc exits as more extreme weather is possible
As the weekend storm that wreaked havoc from Texas to Alabama exits over the Atlantic overnight, a parallel wave of thunderstorms over the Great Lakes is headed east, and the Pacific is delivering a new winter front.
The weekend's low pressure system whipped up winds that drove fires in Oklahoma and Texas and cranked out deadly tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Mississippi.
Behind it tonight is a system of cooler, unstable air that is moving southeast and clashing with warm air in front of it. The front will continue to produce thunderstorms and the threat of more severe weather, including the possibility of tornadoes, as it moves east along a diagonal line from the Lower Great Lakes to the Appalachian Mountains, the weather service said.
It should exit overnight Monday into Tuesday, it said, but before that the front might linger a bit along the dense Northeast Coast, including New England's shoreline, the weather service said. By Tuesday, much of the East Coast should be in the clear, the weather service said.
The Pacific Ocean was churning out another classic winter storm that is moving southeast into Northern California tonight with 2 to 4 feet of snow and high winds as strong as 75 mph forecast for the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Rain is falling in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Federal forecasters said an expanding low pressure system will develop in the Rocky Mountains and the High Plains on Tuesday, once again whipping up winds to the south and increasing fire risk in the central and southern High Plains, which includes Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas, the latter two struck by wildfires Friday and into the weekend.
The weekend's tornado-producing system was charged up by a clash between cold and warm air in the atmosphere, which is not unusual for this time of year. The calendar marks the first day of spring on Thursday.
5 tornadoes touched down in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, damage surveys show
At least five tornadoes touched down in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas yesterday, according to damage surveys from the National Weather Service.
One tornado hit around 12:15 p.m. near Kentwood, Louisiana, with a preliminary rating of EF3, meaning 3-second gusts of 136 to 165 mph, it said.
Another touched down around 1:15 p.m. near Tylertown, Mississippi, and had a rating of EF2, or gusts of 111 to 135 mph.
Surveys for the two tornadoes are expected to continue over the next few days, and the ratings could change, the weather service said.
Also in Mississippi, EF1 tornadoes were confirmed in Vardaman and Chickasaw. Both had peak winds of 105 mph, the weather service said.
In Arkansas, an EF2 tornado with estimated peak wind speeds of 125 mph damaged homes and buildings in Paragould shortly after midnight. Four injuries were reported, it said.
Four die in destructive fire weather in Oklahoma
The death toll related to Oklahoma's storm-driven wildfires and winds increased today to a total of four from one reported yesterday, state officials said.
The deaths raise the nationwide number of deaths related to the weekend's severe weather to 40. Yesterday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said one person had died amid the state's fires and high winds.
The four deaths were related to fire or high wind, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said, citing the state chief medical examiner’s office. They were reported in Lincoln, Garfield, Haskell and Pawnee counties, emergency management officials said in a statement today.
Among the victims, NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City reported, was a man who was trying to defend family property Friday night in Chandler.
The man died yesterday at a hospital. His son, who was reportedly alongside him, was severely burned and remained hospitalized, KFOR said. The family was a part of the state's wrestling community, the station said.
The chief medical examiner’s office did not respond to a request yesterday for more information about the pair.
State emergency management officials said 142 people were injured by the severe weather, including wildfires and high winds, including seven who were burned and 16 struck who were by objects.
Stitt declared a state of emergency for 12 counties. Emergency management officials said today that 13 counties have been approved for Federal Emergency Management Agency fire response and preparation grants.
'A bit of good news': 3 believed missing in Mississippi found alive
Three people believed to be missing in Mississippi in the wake of the weekend's deadly storm front have been found alive, Gov. Tate Reeves said at a news conference today.
"So that is a bit of good news," he said.
He said yesterday that two of the missing are from Covington County and one is from Walthall County. Details about the three were unavailable.
The state's number of deaths attributed to the severe weather remained at six, with 27 people injured, Reeves said.
Utility tracker PowerOutage.us indicated fewer than 7,000 customers were without power in the state this evening.
Trump says he's monitoring the storm situation
President Donald Trump said today he's "actively monitoring" the storm situation and has federal resources under his direction ready to help storm-ravaged communities.
"We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest," he said on his Truth Social platform.
Help, he said, is at the ready.
"My Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage," Trump said.
He continued: "Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!"
EF4 tornado damage found in Arkansas
Damage consistent with an EF4 tornado was found in two locations in Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service field office in Little Rock.
One near Diaz, about 93 miles northeast of Little Rock, was estimated to have peak winds of 190 mph. A second near Larkin, in Izard County, had peak winds of 170 mph, the office said on X.
EF4 tornadoes have 166 to 200 mph winds, according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
They are the first EF4 tornado recorded in Arkansas since Dec. 10, 2021, when an EF4 tornado hit the city of Bay in Craighead County, the weather service said.
It was also the first EF4 tornado to hit the Little Rock weather service office warning area since the Mayflower-Vilonia tornado on April 27, 2014, it said.
Third death reported in Alabama
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said a third death from the weekend's severe weather has been confirmed in the state.
The third victim was in Dallas County, Ivey said in a statement. Additional details were not immediately available.
The news brings the number of deaths related to the weekend's severe weather system and resulting tornadoes to 37.
"Emergency management officials have been working hard to assess the damage brought by this weekend's storms," Ivey said.
She said she offered condolences to the victims' families.
Thunderstorm watch in effect for parts of New York; strong winds delay flights in Philadelphia
The storm that produced tornadoes from Mississippi to Missouri was expected to move offshore overnight and into tomorrow, but a parallel front developed behind it, forming a line of unstable air under the Great Lakes.
The result today has been multiple tornado warnings for the areas of Syracuse, New York, and northern Pennsylvania, though most have since expired. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 7 p.m. ET for central New York.
About 340 miles south, Philadelphia International Airport warned of flight delays because of strong winds. The city was under a wind advisory for gusts as strong as 50 mph through 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. A gust of 36 mph was recorded at the airport at 3:54 p.m., according to weather service data.
The National Weather Service office in Binghamton, New York, which covers Syracuse, measured a wind gust of 72 mph, which is nearly hurricane-force, in Cayuga, a village about 35 miles west of Syracuse, about 4:30 p.m.
Parts of New York and Pennsylvania had been under severe thunderstorm warnings earlier in the evening for strong winds, hail, possible tornadoes and other risks.
The thunderstorm activity is forming as a cold front from Canada moves in behind the weekend front that wreaked havoc from Texas to Florida.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe says scale of devastation in state 'is staggering'
Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri, where severe weather has killed 12 people, said today that "the scale of devastation across our state is staggering" as he gave an update about ongoing recovery efforts.
Kehoe said in a statement that "hundreds of homes, schools, and businesses have been either destroyed or severely damaged."
"While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action — getting power restored, clearing debris, and ensuring our communities have the resources they need to recover," he said.
Kehoe declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of the storms. Damage assessments are still being carried out "in preparation for a federal major disaster declaration request," the governor's office said.
One person missing in Missouri
One person is still missing in Missouri after severe weather swept through the state over the past couple of days, Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a statement today.
No additional details were provided about the missing individual. At least 12 storm-related deaths have been reported in the state so far.
Mobile home community and school damaged in central Alabama
A mobile home community and a school in Calera, Alabama, sustained significant damage due to severe weather, police said.
The roof of the school and several trailers were damaged, Police Chief David Hyche said.
There are no known injuries, he said.
Multiple deaths reported in Mississippi after storms flatten trees and rip up homes
Storms swept through western and southern Mississippi over the weekend, killing at least six people and wrecking homes.
In Tylertown, trees were leveled and the roof of a home was destroyed.
Dakota Henderson, a Wayne County resident, rode out a storm in the hallway of his home.
"I could hear it. I told my wife, I said, 'Hang on baby, we fixing to get hit,'" he said. "The roar got louder, and then all of a sudden that wind busted through that door and all that stuff came down the hall."
Gusty winds and tornadoes possible west of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Gusty winds and "a tornado or two" are possible today in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area and especially west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to the National Weather Service field office for Baltimore and Washington.
The Blue Ridge Mountains run through Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. To the west of the mountain range are West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
83-year-old man killed in Winterboro, Alabama
A coroner identified the person who was killed by severe weather in Winterboro, Alabama, as Harry Leon Fain.
Fain, 83, lived in a mobile home in the central Alabama community. Officials released no additional details.
One other death was reported in Plantersville, Gov. Kay Ivey said earlier today.
Over 380,000 utility customers without power across the East Coast, South and Midwest
Over 380,000 utility customers were without power across the East Coast, the South and the Midwest at 4:15 p.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.US.
More than 150,000 are in Pennsylvania. Elsewhere on the East Coast, over 17,000 utility customers are without power in New York.
In the Midwest, around 45,000 are without power in Missouri, 36,000 don't have power in Ohio, and over 12,000 don't have power in Michigan.
In the South, almost 43,000 utility customers don't have power in West Virginia, 26,200 don't have power in Virginia, and 24,300 don't have power in North Carolina.
Over 12,000 utility customers don't have power in Georgia, and 6,000 don't have power in Alabama.
Photos: Storm cleanups continue in Alabama and Mississippi
How to decipher tornado watches and warnings
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center issues a tornado watch in an area up to 10 hours ahead of a storm when conditions suggest possible tornadoes. People in that area, which usually covers several counties or states, should be prepared for a potential warning.
Local forecast offices issue a warning when weather radar indicates a tornado is coming or has already been seen. That typically encompasses a smaller area such as a city or county. People in the area need to take action, such as moving to a shelter on the lowest floor of a building and avoiding windows.
Tornado emergencies, the weather service’s highest alert, are issued when a tornado has touched down in an area and catastrophic damage has been confirmed. They are rare, but they require immediate sheltering in place.
Damaging winds and possible isolated tornado forecast for western New York
Thunderstorms, damaging winds and possibly an isolated tornado were forecast for the western New York region by the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
This system is expected to move west to east between noon and 5 p.m. ET, the weather service said.
EF2 tornado damage found in Arkansas
Damage consistent with an EF2 tornado was found in the community of Fitzhugh in Woodruff County, Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service field office in Little Rock.
The tornado was estimated to have peak winds of 120 mph.
EF2 tornadoes have 111 to 135 mph winds, according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
"Additional surveys will continue through this afternoon and in the coming days," the weather service said.
Texas reports 11 new wildfires
The Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 11 new wildfires in the state yesterday, according to an update.
The fires burned 9,115.5 acres, according to the agency.
"Firefighters will continue working on several active fires today, taking advantage of better weather conditions to increase containment," the agency said.
'Just shock, numb': Woman killed by suspected electrocution was to be married this year
A woman who was killed in St. Louis County, Missouri, by what police believe was a suspected electrocution that was storm-related was to be married this October, NBC affiliate KSDK reported.
The outlet identified the woman as 43-year-old Jennifer Brewington.
"Just shock, numb, don’t know what to think, don’t know what to say,†her fiancé, Ethan Foss, told KSDK. "It’s been hard all day. Didn’t sleep much."
Foss said he was at work and had just said good night to Brewington before her mother found her in the backyard of the home they all lived in together.
Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to the 3000 block of Wintergreen Drive at around 12:16 a.m. yesterday morning to find a woman in the backyard of the home near electrical lines, police said.
"She was a loving, caring person, helped everybody out as much as possible," Foss said told KSDK.
"I don’t know what I’m going to do now," he said.
Photos show destruction in western Mississippi
Videos and photos shared by the Issaquena County, Mississippi, Emergency Management Agency showed multiple destroyed homes and damaged businesses in Grace, a community in the county.
A fire station in the community sustained major damage, while three farm shops were also damaged significantly.
No injuries have been reported in the area, according to the agency.
Over 550 storms reported Friday, 135 reported yesterday
According to preliminary reports, at least 557 storms were reported on Friday and 135 were reported yesterday.
At least 32 of Friday's storms and 34 of Saturday's storms were tornadoes, per reports.
Storms take aim at East Coast
A total of 40 million are at risk of severe weather from Florida to western New York today as the threat from storms has shifted toward the East Coast.
Cities in the risk zone include Pittsburgh and Erie in Pennsylvania; Jacksonville, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; and Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina. The strongest storms will target parts of western Pennsylvania.
The severe weather threat will gradually diminish this evening as the line approaches the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Showers will linger for some in New England early tomorrow morning as the storm system pushes offshore.Â
At least 3 tornadoes confirmed in Missouri on Friday
At least three tornadoes were confirmed to have hit Missouri on Friday, according to the National Weather Service field office in St. Louis.
"An EF-2 in Jefferson County from Hillsboro to Arnold," the weather service said. "An EF-2 near Villa Ridge and an EF-1 south of Union in Franklin County."
The Enhanced Fujita Scale is a system used to rate tornadoes based on wind speeds. EF2 tornadoes have 111 to 135 mph winds, while EF1 tornadoes have 86 to 110 mph winds.
"We will continue surveying other areas in Missouri and Illinois tomorrow and Monday," the weather service said.
Death toll from storms rises to 36
The death toll from two days of storms that have bombarded parts of the South and the Midwest has now risen to 36.
The largest number of deaths, 12, were in Missouri, mostly in Wayne County. Eight deaths were reported in Kansas after a 50-vehicle collision during a "severe dust storm," and six deaths were reported in Mississippi following multiple reported tornadoes.
In Texas, multiple accidents caused by high winds and low visibility killed four people. Three were killed in Independence County, Arkansas, officials said.
Two people were killed in Alabama and and one person was killed in Oklahoma.
Videos show damage across Missouri, Illinois and Alabama
Several states were left with significant damage after deadly storms and tornadoes destroyed multiple homes and tore through buildings over the last two days.
Storms have downed trees and blown roofs off of buildings across the South and Midwest, including in Missouri, Illinois and Alabama.
2 killed by severe weather in Alabama
Two people have been killed by the severe weather that impacted Alabama, according to Gov. Kay Ivey.
The victims died in central Alabama, one in Plantersville and another in Winterboro, Ivey said in a statement. No additional details were shared.
"We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured," Ivey said.
Ivey also said that damage resulting from the severe weather has been reported in 52 of Alabama's 67 counties.
"Our damage assessment continues," Ivey said.
Nearly 200,000 utility customers without power across the South and Midwest
Almost 200,000 utility customers were without power across the South and Midwest this morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
The majority of the outages are in Missouri, with 60,000 in the dark, followed by 40,000 in Georgia. In North Carolina, there are 36,000 utility customers without power.
Michigan has more than 35,000 utility customers without power, and Alabama about 22,000.
House Speaker Mike Johnson sends out prayers to those impacted by storms
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shared a post on X about the storms impacting the South and Midwest for the past two days.
"Our prayers are with all those who are affected and with the families mourning their tragic losses," Johnson wrote.
Tornado watch expands in northern Florida
The storm system moving through Florida is heading east, according to the National Weather Service.
“Be ready to take shelter if a warning is issued,†the weather service said on X.
A Tornado watch in north Florida has expanded to Dixie and Lafayette counties.