A monster storm hit the Great Plains in mid March, pounding Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma with raging winds. This caused wildfires and dust storms, which killed 12 people, but as this system continued across the United States, at least 40 people lost their lives in total.
In the Midwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin have seen snow, but in other parts of the country, completely different weather is happening. Although it is still much too early and cold to see tornadoes in the northern midwest, tornado season has begun in many southern states, and much of the south has already seen many twisters and devastating storms this year.
As this storm moved east, it continued to affect Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. It also hammered Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, but many states have suffered damage from other storms.
Not only did this storm system take a toll on lives, but it destroyed endless homes across this area. In Alabama alone, Governor Kay Ivey said that at least three people lost their lives there and
However, Missouri, Kansas, and Mississippi storms took the greatest toll on human life. ABC News also reported that Gov. Ivy said, “At least 12 deaths were reported in Missouri, the most of any state, officials said.” At least eight were reported in Kansas, six in Mississippi, another eight between Texas and Oklahoma, and three in Arkansas.
On the night of March 15, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency for the state. 23 of its counties reported storm damage, and 12 of those declared an emergency. The Governor also reported that as many as 12 tornadoes could have touched down in Mississippi during this storm.
The devastation across the south from this storm even required the national guard to be sent to Arkansas to step in and support those affected. This devastating storm system even caused a monster EF-4 tornado in Arkansas, with winds as high as 190 mph. This marks the first time an EF-4 has been seen in the area since 2021. In just a 24 hour period between March 15 and 16, ABC News’ Daniel Peck reported that more than 40 tornadoes had been confirmed across 8 states, as far north as Illinois and Indiana. Another ABC News associate Juwon Funes stated that nearly 300,000 Americans are now without power from Mississippi to Michigan.
For more information, visit NBC News.
