A powerful storm system swept across the United States on Friday, leading to deadly crashes, overturned semitrucks, and numerous wildfires in multiple central states. This prompted evacuation orders in certain communities. In Missouri, at least nine tornadoes touched down, with the threat of more severe weather looming for the Mississippi Valley and Deep South. The National Weather Service issued warnings for extreme weather affecting over 100 million people in a wide area stretching from the Canadian border to Texas. Wind gusts of up to 80 mph were forecast.
Tragic car crashes caused by a dust storm in the Texas Panhandle resulted in three fatalities on Friday, according to Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the state’s department of public safety. The near-zero visibility made it challenging to assess the extent of the crashes. In Oklahoma, nearly 150 fires were reported, with winds toppling several tractor-trailers. The severe storm threat was anticipated to continue into the weekend, bringing a high risk of tornadoes and damaging winds to Mississippi and Alabama on Saturday, followed by heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding on the East Coast on Sunday.
Experts noted that the unusual weather patterns seen in March included the large size and intensity of this storm system, causing significant impacts over a vast area. The Storm Prediction Center observed multiple tornadoes, with warnings issued for life-threatening situations in affected areas.
A tornado watch was in place for central and eastern Missouri, including St. Louis, as well as parts of Illinois and Arkansas. Other regions at risk included Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Millions of people were under threat from severe storms stretching from Madison, Wisconsin, to Birmingham, Alabama. Forecasts suggested that intense thunderstorms farther south would likely bring an increased tornado risk on Saturday.
Wildfires broke out in the Southern Plains due to dry and gusty conditions, further adding to the challenges posed by the storm system.
Fires spread rapidly in warm, dry weather conditions with strong winds, leading to evacuations in various communities across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico. In Roberts County, Texas, a blaze escalated from less than a square mile to approximately 32.8 square miles, before being contained by crews. Another fire in the region grew to about 3.9 square miles before halting its advance. Emergency operations centers were activated in Oklahoma due to fast-moving fires, prompting evacuations in several areas. Firefighters and aircraft were deployed to combat the blazes, although visibility issues hampered their efforts.
The National Weather Service in Norman warned of dangerous fires near Oklahoma City, advising evacuations in certain areas. Interstate 70 in western Kansas shut down due to blowing dust, while roads in eastern Kansas were closed due to wildfires and smoke. A dust storm in Amarillo County, Texas, caused a major car crash involving numerous vehicles. Evacuations were advised in central Missouri, with high winds causing power outages in several states.
Blizzard warnings were issued for parts of Minnesota and South Dakota, with significant snow accumulations and strong winds expected. Travel conditions were anticipated to be hazardous in those areas.
