More storms threaten the central US as thousands recover from deadly tornadoes
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Thousands of people from Texas to Kentucky cleaned up Monday from severe weather that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings in four days as another round of tornadoes struck the central U.S.
At least four tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska on Monday evening, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service.
In Wilburton, in southeast Oklahoma, the city's Facebook page reported a tornado on the ground and heading its way. 'Take cover now!' the post warned residents.
In northwest Arkansas, severe weather caused a Halsey concert to be canceled. And in Oklahoma, Tulsa Public Schools canceled all afterschool activities.
Nearly 130,000 were without power in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, according to
PowerOutage.us
.
In northern Texas, softball-sized hail measuring 4-and-a-half inches in diameter was confirmed, according to Scott Kleebauer, meteorologist with the service's Weather Prediction Center.
Earlier Monday in St. Louis, where officials estimated a Friday tornado damaged 5,000 buildings and may cost well over $1 billion, the mayor warned that federal assistance could take weeks.
Kentucky has been hardest hit by the storms. A devastating tornado late Friday into early Saturday damaged hundreds of homes, tossed vehicles, left many homeless, and killed at least 19 people, most of them in southeastern Laurel County.
In London, Kentucky, where the devastation
was centered
, the small airport became a beehive of cleanup work after it took a direct hit from a tornado. Small aircraft stored there had large dents in them and even wings ripped open. Officials were using it as a base to get water, food, diapers and other supplies out to the community.
'We have 1,001 things going on. But we're managing it. And we're going to get it all cleaned up,' said London Mayor Randall Weddle.
Officials in Kansas and Texas also were evaluating damage from late Sunday storms.
The risk of severe storms moves into Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee on Tuesday, the weather service said.
Kentucky cleans up
The Kentucky storms that killed 19 people were part of a weather system that caused seven deaths in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said.
Lonnie Nantz hid in a hallway with his wife, two daughters and a grandson as the one-story brick home they bought near London in 1977 was destroyed around them. They were trapped in rubble for about 20 minutes in the midnight darkness before they were rescued unharmed.
'I don't know why this happened. I've tried to live a good life all my life. I've still got the faith,' said the 77-year-old Nantz, who went to church as always on Sunday.
London city worker Ashley Taylor was back on the job Monday loading doughnuts to take to a hospital and dispatch center even though there was a tarp on her roof. She was lucky — the houses across her street were destroyed late Friday night.
She survived the storm with nine other people and three dogs in the crawl space of a neighbor's home.
'We prayed like never before — and just thankful for everything God did for us,' Taylor said.
In surrounding Laurel County, first responders mourned one of their own.
Fellow firefighters found the body of Laurel County Fire Major Leslie Leatherman on top of a woman he was shielding from the storm's fury as he answered calls during the worst of the storm. The woman was yelling for help and they were in a field across from a destroyed subdivision.
The injured woman turned out to be Leatherman's wife and officials aren't sure if he knew who he was protecting in the darkness and chaos, the fire department said
on social media
.
A Kansas City is spared 18 years after a tornado nearly wiped out the community
Forecasters on Sunday night issued a tornado emergency for
Greensburg,
Kansas, where 12 people were killed and 90% of the town was destroyed in May 2007 by a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) wide tornado with winds of 205 mph (330 kph).
The city was spared this time. Power was out but residents were safe after the 'storm scare,' Greensburg officials posted on social media.
Tornadoes in Kansas carved a 20-mile (32-kilometer) path through Stafford and Reno counties. While damage was extensive, no injuries or deaths were reported.
Hard-hit St. Louis waits for FEMA
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected by an EF3 tornado with winds up to 150 mph (240 kph) that slammed areas north and west of downtown Friday. Spencer has estimated that damages will exceed $1.6 billion.
'Eight miles of pure destruction, at times a mile wide,' Spencer said at a Monday news conference. 'We're talking about thousands of buildings, thousands of families are being displaced.'
The city is awaiting a disaster declaration from the governor's office as a first step to getting federal assistance.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, expressed frustration over the federal response to a
deadly March storm
. 'I'm not happy about the fact we're still waiting from all of that damage two months ago,' Hawley said.
Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Chief David Richardson said last week he plans to
shift responsibility
for disaster recovery to states this year as part of an agencywide transformation and that FEMA would coordinate federal assistance 'when deemed necessary.'
Spencer said during a news conference Monday evening that emergency protocols put in place in 2021 were not followed, possibly preventing sirens being activated to warn residents about the tornado.
She said it was not clear whose responsibility it was to let the community know about the emergency but that the fire department will do so moving forward.
In Texas, several tornadoes touched down west of Fort Worth on Sunday, including an EF1 with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) that caused damage in and around Gordon, the weather service said Monday.
___
This story has been updated to correct that Wilburton is in Oklahoma, not Texas.
___
See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest
here.
___
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Severe storms threaten Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Game 2 tonight: Could it be delayed?
When the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, there will be plenty of thunder and severe weather happening outside Paycom Center in the Oklahoma City metro. Current projections from the National Weather Service forecast severe storms to start after 4 p.m. at the earliest and continue until 11 p.m. at the latest over Oklahoma City. These storms are predicted to create wind gusts up to 80 mph and up to baseball-sized hail near OKC. More risky severe weather is expected in southwestern Oklahoma, but conditions can always worsen quickly. Here is what to know about severe weather chances in Oklahoma City going into Game 2 on Sunday. According to forecasts from the NWS Norman station, the Oklahoma City metro could see rain starting between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Severe weather should end by 11 p.m. in the metro, but severe weather watches, if issued, could be extended. The southeast winds could have gusts higher than 80 mph throughout the metro, even though there is low potential for a tornado. The metro area is only at an "enhanced risk" of seeing severe weather on Sunday night. Yet, these forecasts include hail up to a softball size. As of 4 p.m., the NWS has issued warnings only in southwestern Oklahoma. According to FEMA guidelines, the best places to be during a storm are a storm shelter or a basement. If you are unable to reach a shelter or a basement, FEMA recommends going to the innermost room, hallway, or closet on the lowest level of the building. According to Lucy Albers, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Paycom, the facility is prepared to accommodate for any severe weather conditions. For starters, she noted that the facility typically doesn't allow umbrellas, but due to the weather, they will make an exception and allow guests to bring them in. Because of the gambit of weather events Oklahoma can be presented, Albers also said they have to be prepared for everything. "We're a large sporting event facility in Oklahoma, so this is not the first time we've had events in some severe weather," Albers said. Leading up to events, Albers noted that leadership has discussions with the staff regarding safety protocols. During the event, the security manager is in direct contact with individuals at the NWS and staying up to date on all possibilities. Should the storm continue after the final whistle blows and remain severe enough, Albers said the Paycom Center is likely to hold guests in longer to ensure they stay as safe as possible, following a shelter-in-place protocol. Both officials with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Albers stated that should the weather become severe enough, the NBA holds the ability to make a call regarding gameplay; however, it would be communicated effectively to all parties involved. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Finals: OKC storms could impact Thunder-Pacers game, what to know
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Areas bordering central North Carolina under severe thunderstorm watch
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With the risk of severe thunderstorms in central North Carolina Sunday, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for areas north, east and south of central N.C. The National Weather Service initially issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the southeastern areas of North Carolina, but then expanded that to cover more of the east and southeast. 'Clusters of storms will move east-northeastward across eastern North Carolina this afternoon,' the watch said, noting 65 mph wind gusts are possible along with 1-inch hail. Then, at 2:40 p.m., the weather service expanded the severe thunderstorm watch northward to include all of eastern North Carolina until 10 p.m. Sunday. RELATED: Interactive weather radar 'Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon, with mostly a damaging wind/some hail risk across far southern Virginia and northeast North Carolina,' forecasters said in the watch. Areas east of Edgecombe, Wilson, Wayne, and Sampson counties are in the watch area. To the north, Northampton County is in the severe thunderstorm watch along with Virginia counties along the border west to Danville. Essentially, central North Carolina is nearly encircled by the severe thunderstorm watch. RELATED: Interactive weather radar A severe thunderstorm watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area, the weather service said. Residents should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
US Open gets a soggy start to the week at Oakmont, with Jordan Spieth among early arrivals
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Players began arriving at Oakmont on Sunday with umbrellas and expectations for a U.S. Open to live up to its reputation as golf's toughest test. Jordan Spieth was among the early arrivals, playing the front nine on Saturday and 11 holes on Sunday in a light, but steady rain. Turns out the USGA had a policy that no one could start on No. 10. Spieth went down the first, back up the ninth and headed to No. 10. It was long. And it was wet. The area got pounded with rain on Friday, and heavy rain was expected again Sunday afternoon. As if Oakmont wasn't already tough enough. 'This course is built to be like this,' Spieth said. 'So they're not doing a whole lot different to the golf course. You hit a good shot, you get rewarded for it here. And if you don't, you're in big trouble. It's pure golf, no funny business about it.' Spieth was keeping score on this day — he gave himself an 18-inch birdie putt after a 50-yard chip on the short par-4 17th and was 2 under for the day. He also did plenty of chipping and putting. On one hole, he had his caddie throw him golf balls down into the bunker. The grass was so thick it gobbled up the balls before they reached to the sand. The rough was as advertised, mainly the sheer density of it, and it was made even more difficult considering how wet it was. Spieth wasn't worried so much about the grass off the fairway — everyone has to deal with that at some point during the U.S. Open. It was what followed. 'It magnifies once you make a mistake if you don't play the right shot,' he said. 'It's not like making a mistake is the end of the world. It might cost you half a shot. You just have to take what it gives you.' More than 60 players in the U.S. Open field were at the Memorial two weeks ago, which also featured rough that was longer and thicker than normal. Growing grass has not been an issue in the Ohio Valley this year. The difference is the speed of Oakmont's greens — reputed to be the fastest in the land — and not many forced carries. 'This test here, because they give you more runways to try to run it up to the green, it entices you to think you can do more than you should,' Spieth said. 'That will be the biggest challenge this week — swallowing pride. Bogeys don't hurt you. Anything more will.' The forecast was for more scattered showers on Monday, and then a break from the rain until the weekend. Oakmont is hosting the U.S. Open for a record 10th time, and its reputation is strong enough that even the best can expect a strong test. First impressions, of course, can be misleading. Shane Lowry recalls seeing it for the first time on the Sunday before the 2016 U.S. Open. He started on No. 10, played five holes and walked in, wondering how he could ever manage a decent score around Oakmont. A week later, he went into the final round with a four-shot lead. 'It was firm and fast when I played it that Sunday, and it was windy. We got a bit of rain that week, which helped us,' Lowry recalled. The flip side was Adam Scott. He first played Oakmont the week before 2007 U.S. Open with Geoff Ogilvy, who was the defending U.S. Open champion that year. 'I played really great that day and Geoff didn't, so I was feeling really chipper about myself,' Scott said. He returned a week later feeling confident as ever. 'I hit six greens in two days and flew back to Australia,' he said. 'It really hit me hard.' ___ AP golf:
