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Recovery begins after deadly weekend storms hit central US

Recovery begins after deadly weekend storms hit central US
THE SEVERE WEATHER. COOPER HAS THE LATEST ON WHAT WAS SAID AT THIS CONFERENCE. SCOTT, EARLIER TODAY, THE GOVERNOR ADDRESSED THE AFTERMATH OF THE SEVERE STORMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE...THE VO: DEVASTATION HITTING UP TO 23 COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE..... GOVERNOR TATE REEVES, ANNOUNCING A STATE OF EMERGENCY SATURDAY NIGHT THE ORDER COMES AFTER AN ESTIMATE OF 12 TORNADOES SWEEPING THROUGH VARIOUS COUNTIES BETWEEN SUNDOWN FRIDAY AND AROUND 10AM SATURDAY ACCORDING TO MEMA...... SIX FATALITIES HAVE BEEN COUNTED AND AT LEAST 27 INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED...... GOVERNOR REEVES SAYS THE THREE PEOPLE WHO WERE MISSING DURING THE STORMS HAVE BEEN FOUND AND ARE ALIVE..... THE HORRIFIC STORMS ALSO SOT: STEPHEN MCCRANEY, MEMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 12:15-30 "ONE OF THOSE 70 MILES LONG, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT LONG TIME ON THE GROUND CAUSING CATASTROPHIC... WHICH ACTUALLY TRAPPED YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR A MAJOR PART OF THE STORMS LAST NIGHT WHERE THEY COULDN'T EVEN GET OUT TO EVEN DO ANY OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO." BACK TO BACK SOT: GOVERNOR REEVES 6:00-26 "THE TRACKS THAT OCCURRED NORTH OF JACKSON IS EERILY SIMILAR TO THE TORNADO THAT HIT AND LEFT OUR STATE IN 2023 AND THE TRACK THAT HIT WALTHALL COUNTY, TYLERTOWN AND NORTH EAST IS EERILY SIMILAR TO ONE OF THE TORNADOES CAME THROUGH ON EASTER REEVES SAYS THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SHELTERS STILL OPEN ACROSS THE STATE AND EMERGENCY CREWS ARE CURRENTLY OUT ASSESSING DAMAGE..... SOT: TATE REEVES, GOV 5:59-6:07 "MISSISSIPPIANS IN TIMES LIKE THESE STEP UP AND DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FRIENDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS" STEPHEN MCCRANEY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MEMA SAYS FLOOD WATER MAY IMPACT THE STATE FROM THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF TO TWO WEEKS..... SOT: STEPHEN MCCRANEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 19:42-19:49 "TAKES ME BACK TO KATRINA IT TAKES ME BACK TO MANY OTHER DISASTERS I'VE HAD TO WORK" <20:50-21:00> "SMALL DISASTERS BIG DISASTERS IT DOESN'T MATTER THOSE SURVIVORS MATTER AND THAT'S WHAT THE LOCALS AND THE TEAMS I HAVE OUT HERE TODAY GETTING OUT THERE TALKING TO THEM WHAT DO YOU NEED?" THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 500 DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS SO FA
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Recovery begins after deadly weekend storms hit central US
At least 42 people are dead after a weekend of dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires — leaving behind uprooted trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight U.S. states in the South and Midwest.Weather forecasters gave an unusual “high risk” designation to the storm system, which began Friday before tapering off Sunday. For now, people in the affected communities are surveying damage as some brace for more potentially damaging weather.Here's what to know about the unusually erratic and destructive weather system that struck central and eastern portions of the U.S.Where and how did people die?Missouri lost the most lives in the storm and tornadoes, with 13 reported killed. Mississippi saw six people killed by tornadoes.Wildfires or high winds were blamed for four deaths in Oklahoma, including a person who died in a car crash due to poor visibility and an individual whose remains were found in a burned home.Vehicle crashes caused by dust storms killed eight in Kansas and three in Texas. Alabama and Arkansas each reported three.The storm also killed two boys, ages 11 and 13, when a tree fell on their home in western North Carolina on Sunday, according to firefighters.Multiple tornadoes in several statesThere was a significant outbreak of tornadoes, with a preliminary count of 46 on Friday and 41 on Saturday, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.Two strong tornadoes tore through the same Mississippi county roughly within an hour of the other on Saturday, according to the weather agency.Video above: Camper business in Alabama destroyed during devastating tornado outbreakThe twisters had preliminary ratings of EF-2 and EF-3, out of a rating scale of 0 to 5, and caused devastating damage in Walthall County, in far southern Mississippi, and in Tylertown.Wildfires and dust storms also proved deadlyWind-driven wildfires caused extensive damage in Oklahoma and officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warned that parts of both states would again face an increased risk of fire danger this week.More than 130 fires were reported across the state on Friday and over 400 homes were damaged.Dust storms spurred by high winds resulted in at least 50 vehicles crashing on a highway Friday, killing at least eight people, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Authorities said three people also died in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle.Another system is coming this weekThe National Weather Service said weekend tornado watches had mostly expired, but dangerous winds were still possible in the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida through Sunday.Another system is moving out of the Rockies and into the Plains in coming days, Chenard said. The threat of winter weather picks up on Tuesday into Wednesday in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan, with significant snow and wind bringing hazardous conditions.To the south across portions of the Plains there will be drier air, bringing fire weather risk.Recovery effortsPresident Donald Trump said the White House was monitoring the storms and would assist state and local officials to help in the recovery. He said National Guard troops were deployed to Arkansas.

At least 42 people are dead after a weekend of dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires — leaving behind uprooted trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight U.S. states in the South and Midwest.

Weather forecasters gave an unusual “high risk” designation to the storm system, which began Friday before tapering off Sunday. For now, people in the affected communities are surveying damage as some brace for more potentially damaging weather.

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Here's what to know about the unusually erratic and destructive weather system that struck central and eastern portions of the U.S.

Where and how did people die?

Missouri lost the most lives in the storm and tornadoes, with 13 reported killed. Mississippi saw six people killed by tornadoes.

Wildfires or high winds were blamed for four deaths in Oklahoma, including a person who died in a car crash due to poor visibility and an individual whose remains were found in a burned home.

Vehicle crashes caused by dust storms killed eight in Kansas and three in Texas. Alabama and Arkansas each reported three.

The storm also killed two boys, ages 11 and 13, when a tree fell on their home in western North Carolina on Sunday, according to firefighters.

Multiple tornadoes in several states

There was a significant outbreak of tornadoes, with a preliminary count of 46 on Friday and 41 on Saturday, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Two strong tornadoes tore through the same Mississippi county roughly within an hour of the other on Saturday, according to the weather agency.

Video above: Camper business in Alabama destroyed during devastating tornado outbreak

The twisters had preliminary ratings of EF-2 and EF-3, out of a rating scale of 0 to 5, and caused devastating damage in Walthall County, in far southern Mississippi, and in Tylertown.

Wildfires and dust storms also proved deadly

Wind-driven wildfires caused extensive damage in Oklahoma and officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warned that parts of both states would again face an increased risk of fire danger this week.

More than 130 fires were reported across the state on Friday and over 400 homes were damaged.

Dust storms spurred by high winds resulted in at least 50 vehicles crashing on a highway Friday, killing at least eight people, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Authorities said three people also died in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle.

Another system is coming this week

The National Weather Service said weekend tornado watches had mostly expired, but dangerous winds were still possible in the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida through Sunday.

Another system is moving out of the Rockies and into the Plains in coming days, Chenard said. The threat of winter weather picks up on Tuesday into Wednesday in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan, with significant snow and wind bringing hazardous conditions.

To the south across portions of the Plains there will be drier air, bringing fire weather risk.

Recovery efforts

President Donald Trump said the White House was monitoring the storms and would assist state and local officials to help in the recovery. He said National Guard troops were deployed to Arkansas.