Severe storms kill dozens across central US

What happened

At least 40 people were killed over the weekend in a complex of powerful tornadoes, wind-fueled wildfires and dust storms across the Midwest and South. Mississippi was whipped by 32 of the 81 tornadoes, and Missouri recorded at least 12 deaths, the most of any state.

Who said what

The "scale of devastation" in Missouri is "staggering," Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) said Sunday. One of the 17 tornadoes that struck that state left a "debris field" where a house stood previously, Butler County coroner Jim Akers said. "The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls."

Along with 24 deaths reported from tornadoes, at least 12 people were killed in multicar pileups in Kanas and Texas, and Oklahoma recorded four deaths related to wildfires and strong winds. "Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70 mph," said Terry Essary, the fire chief in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "It's an insurmountable task."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What next?

The "large storm system is expected to move offshore" today after pushing through the East Coast, halting flights from Florida to New York, The New York Times said. That's likely the end of the extreme and tempestuous weather for "at least a few to several days," said meteorologist Rich Otto at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. But "this is probably not the last time we'll talk about severe thunderstorms in the next several weeks."