Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the US, wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states, part of a monster storm that killed at least 26 people as more severe weather was expected late Saturday.
In western Kansas, a dust storm was reported to have killed eight people as high winds produced blowing dust over the interstate, causing collisions of more than 55 vehicles on the I-70.
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves announced that six people had died in three counties and three more people were missing. There were 29 injuries across the state, he added in a nighttime post.
Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that killed at least 12 people, authorities said. The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home.
“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field,” said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler county, describing the scene that confronted rescuers. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”
In Arkansas, three storm-related deaths have been confirmed in Independence county with an additional 29 people injured in eight counties, according to the Arkansas division of emergency management on Saturday morning.
Three people were killed on Friday in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo county in the Texas panhandle, according to Sgt Cindy Barkley of the state’s department of public safety. One pileup involved an estimated 38 cars.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” Barkley said, calling the near-zero visibility a nightmare. “We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled.”
This morning’s (March 15) visible @NOAASatellites imagery shows the deep low pressure system centered in Minnesota/Wisconsin. This system is bringing high winds, blowing snow, critical fire weather, thunderstorms, and blowing dust across numerous states.
👁️In fact, the clearing… pic.twitter.com/SFRcMpR7sM
— National Weather Service (@NWS) March 15, 2025
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves announced on Saturday morning that at least three people have been injured and were hospitalized in Grenada county, adding that the number is expected to increase.
Six counties have reported damage including Calhoun, Carroll, Grenada, Humphreys, Leflore and Montgomery. Grenada county has been hit the hardest, Reeves said. A shelter has opened up in the Grenada City auditorium for those in search of refuge.
At least 26 tornadoes were reported but not confirmed to have touched down late on Friday night and early on Saturday as a low pressure system drove powerful thunderstorms across parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri, said David Roth, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
“Today there is a high risk for more tornadoes across Alabama and Mississippi, the chance is 30%,” he said. “That’s pretty significant.”
As the storms regain strength, the highest possible risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms was on Saturday night, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings early on Saturday morning for areas in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Texas.
The agency has warned residents not to seek refuge in vehicles outside or under overpasses, as well as not to seek shelter under trees. Instead, it urged residents to get off the road and drive to a designated shelter, basement or safe room. The next best option for shelter is a small, windowless room or hallway on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, according to the agency.
Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. The state patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers.
Forecasters said the severe storm threat would continue into the weekend with a high chance of tornadoes and damaging winds on Saturday in Mississippi and Alabama. Heavy rain could bring flash flooding to some parts of the east coast on Sunday.
Experts say it’s not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.
“What’s unique about this one is its large size and intensity,” said Bill Bunting of the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. “And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area.”
The weather service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Several buildings were damaged.
The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100mph (160km/h) possible.
“Potentially violent” tornadoes were expected on Saturday in parts of the central Gulf coast and deep south into the Tennessee valley, according to the National Weather Service.
The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida panhandle.
Wildfires in the southern plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds, and evacuations were ordered on Friday for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.
A blaze in Roberts county, Texas, north-east of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile (about 2 sq km) to an estimated 32.8 sq miles (85 sq km), the Texas A&M University forest service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Friday evening.
About 60 miles (90km) to the south, another fire grew to about 4 sq miles (10 sq km) before its advance was halted in the afternoon.
High winds also knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, according the website poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early on Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3-6in (7.6-15.2cm) were expected, with up to a foot (30cm) possible.
Winds gusting to 60mph (97km/h) were expected to cause whiteout conditions.
