At Least 21 Dead, Including Mom and 2 Kids, from Severe Memorial Day Weekend Weather: Reports
There were 25 tornadoes seen in five states.
Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP
At least 21 people lost their lives over the Memorial Day weekend due to severe weather, which included numerous tornadoes. Multiple news sources have confirmed these tragic events across several states.
The victims, whose lives were cut short, were located in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas, as reported by CNN.
On Saturday, May 25, seven individuals perished in Cooke County, Texas, while another eight were killed in Arkansas. On Sunday, May 26, there were four more fatalities reported in Kentucky, according to CNN.
Among the victims were four children, CNN informed.
According to ABC News, 25 tornadoes were observed spanning five states, leaving a trail of destruction and numerous injuries in addition to the fatalities.
“We ought to rally around them and do everything we can to carry them,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear encouraged the public on Monday.
A mother and her two children in Texas were also among those who perished when a tornado devastated their mobile home park, as reported by the local NBC 5 TV station.
A relative shared with the station that the family was waiting on their bathroom floor for the tornado to pass when the wind picked up their mobile home, dragging it about 100 feet.
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CNN reported that approximately 110 million people faced a continued risk of severe weather on Monday.
The federal Storm Prediction Center confirmed that a new tornado watch went into effect on Sunday, impacting over 4.5 million people across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott noted that more than a third of Texas counties were under a disaster declaration, as reported by the BBC.
According to The Storm Prediction Center, severe thunderstorms were anticipated over Memorial Day across parts of the lower Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions.
The National Weather Service warned on Monday, May 27, about “dangerous heat” impacting parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast, including Florida. They also cautioned that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain would affect much of the eastern U.S., with isolated tornadoes possible in the eastern Mid-Atlantic area.
