The slow, active storm system has brought heavy rain, big waves and tornadoes in parts of Texas and Oklahoma, killing three people on Sunday as severe weather warnings continue to threaten parts of the Southern and Midwest of the US
On Easter Sunday, Texas and Oklahoma communities were beginning to assess the damage that was broken by the tornado. There were 17 reported events on Saturday, according to Bob Oravec, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service weather forecasting center. Five cases have been identified in southern Oklahoma. This includes those that caused major damage to a small town that is still recovering from the tornado in March.
The storm also caused heavy rains in wide strips of northern Texas in eastern central Oklahoma, many of which accumulated 2-4 inches (5-10 centimeters) on Saturday.
Police in Moore, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of Oklahoma City, received dozens of “high water incidents” reports over the weekend, including two cars left behind in the flood on Saturday evening. One car was wiped under the bridge and police said it could save some people, but a woman and a 12-year-old boy were found dead.
“This was a historic weather event that affected the roads and led to dozens of high water incidents in the city,” Moore Police said in a statement Sunday. Moore has around 63,000 residents.
According to Hughes County Emergency Management, the storm also killed one person about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast after a tornado landed in Spalding. The department wrote on Facebook that several homes and structures have been demolished and there have been “many washouts” on county roads.
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The National Weather Service said a preliminary investigation into the damage showed that the tornado was at least EF1 and wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 mph (138 to 177 kph), similar to the south side of Oklahoma City in Love County.
Oravec said the system hasn’t been moving much in Texas and Oklahoma on Saturday, leaving the area stuck under a very active thunderstorm pattern that has produced big hail, flash floods and tornadoes.
Bill Macon, director of emergency management for Marshall County, Oklahoma, said their early assessments showed that the tornado “skipped and flew around.”
Macon said people were mostly home when a late-night tornado came and knocked down “huge” trees and dozens of electric poles and power lines, but there were no reports of injuries or deaths.
“We’re making these things pretty serious here in Oklahoma,” Macon said of the National Weather Service warning.
The town of Oklahoma, which had still been rebuilt from the tornado in early March, was attacked again late Saturday. The north side of the ADA, a town of about 16,000 people, suffered the damage that said it had shown at least an EF1 tornado based on a preliminary investigation. A social media post showed the roof ripped through businesses in town, shop front windows were blown away, and billboards were knocked sideways.
In a video posted to Facebook, ADA Emergency Management Director Jason Keck said the tornado appears to be tracking the shopping centre across the north side of town.
According to ADA News, one clothing store was “severely damaged” but “covered on both sides by an undamaged structure.”
At least two tornadoes that crossed West Parker County, Texas, on Saturday said on Facebook. Emergency crews were sent to several homes where the roof was torn and the houses were exposed, photos showed. One independent roof was destroyed across the driveway.
Later Sunday, the storm system moved northeasterly faster, but remained active in Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and southeast Iowa due to risk of hail, strong winds and heavy rain. Thousands of Missouri were in power.
Heavy rain had been sinking in Texas and Oklahoma by late Sunday afternoon, but more rain is expected this week in parts of the plains, Olabeck said. The area is at risk of additional flooding as the river is already swollen and the ground is saturated.
By Hannah Fingerhatt
