Tornadoes wreak havoc in Midwest, storm hits southeastern U.S., killing at least 3 people

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Severe storms pounded the central and southeastern United States late Tuesday and Wednesday, spawning deadly tornadoes and heavy hail, killing two people in Tennessee and one in North Carolina.

The storm that hit northeast Tennessee brought strong winds and knocked down power lines and trees. Claiborne County Sheriff Bob Brooks said a 22-year-old man was the passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a tree. Claiborne County Mayor Joe Brooks also confirmed the death. social media posts.

A tornado emergency, the National Weather Service's highest alert level, was issued Wednesday afternoon for areas south of Nashville, including the towns of Spring Hill, Chapel Hill and Eagleville.

A tornado warning had previously been issued near Columbia, about 75 miles south of Nashville.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Mulder confirmed in a statement that at least one person died as a result of the storm, but details of the cause of death were not immediately released.

Mulder said the area has “seen numerous confirmed tornado touchdowns” that resulted in “personal injury and property damage.”

Maury County Emergency Management said in a statement that it urged “everyone to stay away” from areas affected by the storm, adding that all schools in the county would be closed Thursday.

A state of emergency was declared in Gaston County in North Carolina Wednesday night after severe storms. First responders were removing downed power lines and broken trees from roads and providing relief to residents, officials said. The New Hope Fire Department responded to a tree that fell on a car. One person in the car died and another was taken to the hospital. the official said.

More than 152,000 customers were without power Wednesday night in North Carolina and Tennessee, according to power company tracking service PowerOutage.us.

tornado It was first reported after dark. Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, according to the National Weather Service.A storm has arrived The day after the deadly twister I ran through a town in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Town Barnsdall Hit by Deadly Tornado — The Crowder family inspects their home destroyed by a tornado on May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. The EF3 twister killed one person and destroyed dozens of homes in an area of just over 1,000 people.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

On Wednesday, crews were able to survey damage caused by a strong storm that included hail and heavy rain, leaving thousands of utility customers without power.

Nathan Elzal, a meteorologist with the Michigan Weather Bureau, said one tornado each touched down in Kalamazoo, Cass and Branch counties (all in the southwestern part of the state). Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties.

The Portage area of Kalamazoo County was severely damaged, with a FedEx facility destroyed and more than a dozen mobile homes destroyed. At one point, about 50 people were trapped inside the damaged facility due to the downed power lines.

More than a dozen homes were destroyed and 16 people were injured at a mobile home park in neighboring Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Samantha Smith emerged from her mother's partially destroyed home in Pavilion Township, about 140 miles west of Detroit, clutching a box. Inside the box was her grandmother's ashes. Recovering her most prized possessions gave Ms. Smith a rare moment of relief amid the storm's devastation.

Her parents and siblings were injured in the storm but survived.

“I thanked God probably a billion times since this happened yesterday,” she said. “The children are healthy and strong. We have to regain what we lost.”

Travis Wyckoff said he ventured out Tuesday night after seeing radar show a tornado had touched down in the Portage area, rescuing an elderly couple from their partially destroyed home and rescuing his service dog from the home.

“A lot of people were running down the street trying to find people and pets,” Wyckoff said. “It was really chaos.”

In southern Indiana, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down early Wednesday, damaging homes in a section north of the city of Sellersburg, about 19 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Clark County Emergency Management Agency said 24 buildings were damaged by the storm.

Candice Holmes, who lives in the Lewis & Clark subdivision north of Sellersburg, said she and her husband and son took shelter in the bathroom when they heard the storm was approaching and “the winds just picked up.” Ta.

“It was definitely a scary moment. … And I'm glad we're alive,” Holmes told WDRB-TV.

Tornadoes were also confirmed in Pennsylvania, central Arkansas, and northern West Virginia outside of Pittsburgh. The West Virginia twister, which began early Wednesday morning in far eastern Ohio, was at least the 11th tornado this year in a state that typically sees two tornadoes each year.

On Wednesday, baseball-sized hail was reported in areas just southwest of St. Louis, Missouri. Heavy rains caused flash flooding and at least one water rescue near Sullivan, a town hit by a small tornado just two days earlier. Damaging hail was also reported in the Kansas City area.

Tuesday's storm came a day after parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and twisters. This spring, both the Plains and Midwest were hit by tornadoes.

It's been a rough week all over the United States. The Midwest and South, which is home to more than 21 million people and includes cities like Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati, is expected to bear the brunt of the severe weather through the rest of the week. It should clear up by the weekend.

Summarize this content to 100 words Severe storms pounded the central and southeastern United States late Tuesday and Wednesday, spawning deadly tornadoes and heavy hail, killing two people in Tennessee and one in North Carolina.The storm that hit northeast Tennessee brought strong winds and knocked down power lines and trees. Claiborne County Sheriff Bob Brooks said a 22-year-old man was the passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a tree. Claiborne County Mayor Joe Brooks also confirmed the death. social media posts. A tornado emergency, the National Weather Service's highest alert level, was issued Wednesday afternoon for areas south of Nashville, including the towns of Spring Hill, Chapel Hill and Eagleville.

A tornado warning had previously been issued near Columbia, about 75 miles south of Nashville. Columbia Mayor Chaz Mulder confirmed in a statement that at least one person died as a result of the storm, but details of the cause of death were not immediately released.

Mulder said the area has “seen numerous confirmed tornado touchdowns” that resulted in “personal injury and property damage.”Maury County Emergency Management said in a statement that it urged “everyone to stay away” from areas affected by the storm, adding that all schools in the county would be closed Thursday. A state of emergency was declared in Gaston County in North Carolina Wednesday night after severe storms. First responders were removing downed power lines and broken trees from roads and providing relief to residents, officials said. The New Hope Fire Department responded to a tree that fell on a car. One person in the car died and another was taken to the hospital. the official said.More than 152,000 customers were without power Wednesday night in North Carolina and Tennessee, according to power company tracking service PowerOutage.us.

The Crowder family inspects their home destroyed by a tornado on May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. The EF3 twister killed one person and destroyed dozens of homes in an area of just over 1,000 people.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes in western Ohio on Tuesday, with five tornadoes in Warren County and one each in Darke, Mercer and Auglaize counties. The National Weather Service said crews were still investigating to determine whether tornadoes also formed in Franklin and Butler counties. Radar shows a tornado hit Jefferson County, but teams need to assess the damage to determine that rating, said Jeff Craven, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.On Wednesday, crews were able to survey damage caused by a strong storm that included hail and heavy rain, leaving thousands of utility customers without power.Nathan Elzal, a meteorologist with the Michigan Weather Bureau, said one tornado each touched down in Kalamazoo, Cass and Branch counties (all in the southwestern part of the state). Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties.The Portage area of Kalamazoo County was severely damaged, with a FedEx facility destroyed and more than a dozen mobile homes destroyed. At one point, about 50 people were trapped inside the damaged facility due to the downed power lines.More than a dozen homes were destroyed and 16 people were injured at a mobile home park in neighboring Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said.On Wednesday afternoon, Samantha Smith emerged from her mother's partially destroyed home in Pavilion Township, about 140 miles west of Detroit, clutching a box. Inside the box was her grandmother's ashes. Recovering her most prized possessions gave Ms. Smith a rare moment of relief amid the storm's devastation.

Her parents and siblings were injured in the storm but survived.“I thanked God probably a billion times since this happened yesterday,” she said. “The children are healthy and strong. We have to regain what we lost.”Travis Wyckoff said he ventured out Tuesday night after seeing radar show a tornado had touched down in the Portage area, rescuing an elderly couple from their partially destroyed home and rescuing his service dog from the home.”A lot of people were running down the street trying to find people and pets,” Wyckoff said. “It was really chaos.”In southern Indiana, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down early Wednesday, damaging homes in a section north of the city of Sellersburg, about 19 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky.The Clark County Emergency Management Agency said 24 buildings were damaged by the storm.Candice Holmes, who lives in the Lewis & Clark subdivision north of Sellersburg, said she and her husband and son took shelter in the bathroom when they heard the storm was approaching and “the winds just picked up.” Ta.

“It was definitely a scary moment. … And I'm glad we're alive,” Holmes told WDRB-TV.Tornadoes were also confirmed in Pennsylvania, central Arkansas, and northern West Virginia outside of Pittsburgh. The West Virginia twister, which began early Wednesday morning in far eastern Ohio, was at least the 11th tornado this year in a state that typically sees two tornadoes each year.On Wednesday, baseball-sized hail was reported in areas just southwest of St. Louis, Missouri. Heavy rains caused flash flooding and at least one water rescue near Sullivan, a town hit by a small tornado just two days earlier. Damaging hail was also reported in the Kansas City area.Tuesday's storm came a day after parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and twisters. This spring, both the Plains and Midwest were hit by tornadoes.It's been a rough week all over the United States. The Midwest and South, which is home to more than 21 million people and includes cities like Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati, is expected to bear the brunt of the severe weather through the rest of the week. It should clear up by the weekend.