Latest news with #EF4
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Kentucky leaders unite in 3rd request for disaster declaration
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — All eight members of Kentucky's congressional delegation are urging President Donald Trump to approve Gov. Andy Beshear's request for the third major disaster declaration of the year for the Commonwealth. In a letter to the President, they said federal help is needed after storms swept across 600 miles of the state. Kentucky's most misspelled word, according to study Kentucky leaders unite in 3rd request for disaster declaration Fallen Scott County sheriff's deputy remembered on second anniversary of passing 'This severe weather event has resulted in catastrophic damage, and 19 Kentuckians have lost their lives. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed or severely damaged, with homes, businesses, and essential infrastructure suffering widespread loss. Critical roadways have been washed out, vital utilities disabled, and basic government services disrupted. The storm's destruction spans more than 600 miles across the Commonwealth,' the letter stated. 'We urge your swift approval of federal disaster assistance to help Kentucky communities begin the process of recovering and rebuilding.' Beshear filed the request Tuesday, following deadly flooding in February and April. If approved, the declaration would open the door to more federal aid for hard-hit counties, with others likely to be added. So far, there has been no response from the White House. Kentucky's most misspelled word, according to study Drug overdoses see major decline: How Kentucky measures up UFO sightings in Kentucky: A look back on past 30 years The National Weather Service reported the EF4 tornado traveled over 55 miles through Russell, Pulaski, and Laurel counties, staying on the ground for an hour and a half with winds reaching a peak of 170 miles per hour. Based on NWS records, the EF4 tornado was the deadliest tornado in the NWS's Jackson, Kentucky, coverage area. The last fatality because of a tornado in Laurel County was more than a decade ago, on March 2, 2012. In London, the last tornado was confirmed on June 2, 2001. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
May Tornado Outbreak Spawned EF4s In Kentucky, Illinois; Over 150 Twisters Confirmed In Midwest, South and East
Another multiday, deadly severe weather outbreak spawned over 150 tornadoes in 22 states, along with damaging thunderstorm winds and hail from the Plains to the Midwest, South and East, including the most active day for severe weather so far in 2025. A total of 156 tornadoes were either sighted by spotters or confirmed by the National Weather Service in this outbreak from May 15 through the morning of May 21. Of those, 39 were categorized as "strong" tornadoes, those that produced at least EF2 damage on the Enhanced Fujita scale from which tornadoes are rated and peak winds are estimated. That total tornado tally is likely to change slightly in the coming days, as damage surveys by National Weather Service meteorologists are still being conducted. In addition to the tornadoes, there were over 2,000 reports of large hail and either damaging or strong thunderstorm wind gusts during the outbreak. Over 700 of those reports were from Friday May 16 into early morning on Saturday May 17, alone. Two of these tornadoes were rated EF4, a threshold the NWS classifies as violent tornadoes. Twisters this strong aren't rare, but they make up a small fraction of America's yearly tornado tally. From zero to six EF4 tornadoes occurred in the U.S. annually from 2015 through 2024. The first violent tornado tracked through southern Illinois' Williamson County on the evening of May 16. Along its almost 17-mile path, one two-story home south of Marion was swept clean off its foundation, with just stubs of trees left behind the home by winds estimated up to 190 mph. Luckily, the residents of the home weren't there at the time. This was the strongest tornado to impact the region served by the National Weather Service's Paducah, Kentucky, office since the Dec. 10, 2021, outbreak. The other violent tornado tore a 60-mile path across Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties, Kentucky, in almost 90 minutes late on the night of May 16. Heavy damage was reported in parts of the cities of London and Somerset, with homes "wiped clean from their foundations" in London's Sunshine Hills subdivision, where 17 people were killed, according to the NWS damage survey. Peak winds were estimated at 170 mph. Two others were killed by the tornado in Russell and Pulaski Counties. That made this tornado the deadliest in the area served by the NWS-Jackson, Kentucky, office. There were three other deadly tornadoes on May 16. First, an afternoon EF3 tornado tore through the north side of the St. Louis metro area, killing five and injuring 38. Over 5,000 buildings were damaged in the city. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River and tracked through Granite City and Pontoon Beach, Illinois, before ending its almost 23-mile journey in the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus. It was the strongest tornado in St. Louis since the April 22, 2011 EF4 that hit Bridgeton and Lambert International Airport. Other deadly tornadoes included an EF3 just north of Sikeston, Missouri (2 killed), and an EF2 in Greene County, Indiana (1 killed), both on May 16. Notable long-track tornadoes included a 35-mile path carved by an EF2 tornado south of Bloomington, Indiana, on May 16 and a 32-mile path in south-central Kansas on May 18. May 15 Among over 30 tornadoes, 15 of those were in Wisconsin, including four rated EF2. Two of those occurred in Dodge County, striking the towns of Juneau and Mayville. Eleven other tornadoes - all rated EF0 or EF1 - touched down in Lower Michigan. May 16 As mentioned earlier, this was the most active 24-hour period for severe weather during this extended siege, including an EF1 tornado that started in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, then crossed Interstates 95 and 895, damaging several warehouses before ending in the Dundalk Historic District. More bizarre that afternoon was a cloud of dirt and dust whipped up by outflow winds from thunderstorms over central Illinois and pushed northeastward into Chicagoland, northwest Indiana and even parts of Lower Michigan. This reduced visibility to zero in some outlying areas of Illinois, forcing some roads to close. According to the National Weather Service, it was believed to be the first dust storm to affect Chicago since May 31, 1985, which was also the day of a prolific tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Ontario. The NWS also said it was the strongest Chicago dust storm since the Dust Bowl (May 10, 1934). May 18 NWS-Boulder noted two of the landspout tornadoes east and southeast of Denver were unusually strong, both rated EF2 in northeast Elbert County and northeast of Bennett in far eastern Adams County. The west side of Grinnell, Kansas, was struck by a slow-moving EF3 tornado that tracked only about 8 miles in 30 minutes. Greensburg, Kansas, leveled by an EF5 tornado in May 2007, was fortunate that three EF3 tornadoes on May 18 all remained either south or east of the town. A family of tornadoes spun up from a supercell in far northwest Oklahoma near Arnett. One of those produced at least EF2 damage, and hail up to the size of grapefruits was also reported. May 19-21 Among the roughly 60 tornadoes from May 19 into the early morning of May 21, several of these stood out. An EF1 tornado on May 19 in Dodge Co., Nebraska, downed a tree on a home and sliced it in two, narrowly missing a man. And on May 20, a rare tornado emergency - the highest level of tornado warning from the National Weather Service - was issued before an EF2 tornado slammed into Madison, Alabama, near Huntsville. Another EF2 tornado in eastern Madison County was one of at least seven north Alabama twisters on May 20. Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's How To Help Southern Communities Devastated By Multistate Tornado Outbreak
In the last week, several states across our region have faced an outbreak of severe weather and powerful tornadoes. Per CBS News, there were 177 reported tornadoes across the country from May 14 to May 20. One of them was an EF4 that tore through southeastern Kentucky and was on the ground for 55 miles. Another caused massive devastation and several fatalities in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the multi-day event, tornadoes touched down in Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, and Oklahoma and caused over 20 fatalities. Dozens of communities are now beginning to pick up the pieces and will need help. If you are interested in ways you can lend a hand to your neighbors across the South, here are some of the organizations that we have vetted, already on the ground and doing the work. You can contribute to their efforts with the links below: The American Red Cross is often one of the first organizations on the ground following a disaster. These storms were no exception. There are already more than 80 trained Red Cross disaster workers in some of the hardest hit communities in Kentucky and Missouri. They are helping to provide shelter, food, and emotional support. Donate here. Virginia-based Mercy Chefs mobilized with teams set up in two of the hardest hit communities, St. Louis, Missouri and London, Kentucky. Mercy Chefs, led by Gary and Ann LeBlanc, head into disaster zones to provide chef-prepared meals to 'feed body and soul.' They are set up to serve meals in the following locations: St. Louis: The Saint Louis Dream Center, 4324 Margaretta Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115 O'Reilly Auto Parts, 4318 Natural Bridge Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115 Tabernacle Church, 3801 Ashland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63107 London, Kentucky: Faith Assembly of God, 390 Faith Assembly Church Rd, London, KY 40741 Below, you can hear a first-hand account of one of the survivors in Kentucky and how Mercy Chefs is helping her community: Donate to their efforts here. The group of philanthropic barbecue pitmasters known as Operation BBQ Relief deployed right away to London, Kentucky. They fired up their pits and got to work serving hearty meals to the communities in need as well as the first responders serving them. They even had to momentarily shut down their services and take cover themselves as a second round of storms hit the same region again. But the team at OBR is still in Kentucky serving those in need. Donate and find out how to volunteer here. Samaritan's Purse also has teams in both hard-hit St. Louis, Missouri and London, Kentucky. They are on the ground helping residents pick up debris and sort through the wreckage of their homes. They are also there with spiritual support. They can use both your financial support and the support of your time if you are able to volunteer. Donate here. The Salvation Army has partnered with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief to get into these impacted communities and provide critical care and support to both the residents of these communities and the first responders. Captain Carrie McCall of The Salvation Army said in a press release, 'Working together, we have been able to reach more people with food, supplies, and hope.' With their mobile units, the Salvation Army is able to provide meals, emotional and spiritual support, snacks, drinks, and hygiene items to dozens of communities in need. Donate to the Salvation Army here. This is a developing story. Read the original article on Southern Living
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 hospitalized after crash between UTV and SUV in Marshall County
MARSHALL COUNTY, Iowa — A crash involving an SUV and a UTV sent one person to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Homeowner describes how his family escaped burning home that left 3 dead According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, the crash occurred at about 3:40 p.m. in the 1000 block of 190th Street, northwest of State Center. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found that a Polaris Ranger utility vehicle and a Ford SUV had collided. The sheriff's office said the driver of the UTV was seriously injured and transported to a Des Moines hospital via air ambulance. The occupants of the SUV were not injured. An investigation into the crash is ongoing, the sheriff's office said. No additional information has been released. Iowa News: 1 hospitalized after crash between UTV and SUV in Marshall County Greenfield marks 1 year anniversary of deadly EF 4 tornado Disability Rights Iowa braces for potential budget cuts Man, officers shot in exchange of gunfire in eastern Iowa WHO 13 Farm Report: Wednesday, May 21st Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeowner describes how his family escaped burning home that left 3 dead
DES MOINES, Iowa – Early on Wednesday morning tragedy struck the Easter Lake neighborhood as a family woke up to flames engulfing their entire house. 'So when he was going up, he woke up the mother who died. He woke her up first,' said Espy Vyizigiro, the daughter of the homeowner, Yotamu. Yotamu's daughter Espy translated for her father when interviewed by WHO 13 News. The fire was described to have started right after 3 a.m. by the Des Moines Fire Department, but the family was not aware of the flames until right before 4 a.m., leaving little time to react. One of the family members was downstairs in a wheelchair when he realized that the house was burning. The individual crawled up the stairs in order to warn the family. 'So, he was also going up the stairs coming to wake us up along with my mother who also came out with him,' said Espy. 'And we don't know how my mother went back. We don't know what she went to look for. She went back without us having noticed and that's how she died.' Greenfield marks 1 year anniversary of deadly EF 4 tornado The three victims were Ndayirorere Yuliana, 72, Yotamu's wife and Espy's mother; Shannnella Nshimillimana, 18, Yotamu's daughter-in-law who was pregnant, and his niece Angela Peniel, who was 3-years-old. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family, as they were not able to get anything out of the burning home and are staying with other family members and friends. The family was helped by neighbors and congregation members of the Holy Spirit Unity Church in Des Moines. Yotamu is a pastor there, and explained how his extended family, neighbors and congregation showed up to help them while the house was still burning. Yotamu has not had time to process the loss, describing himself as depressed in the wake of losing his wife, a pregnant daughter-in-law and his 3-year-old helped in the rescue efforts, providing blankets for the escaped victims and water for first responders. One neighbor described the horror he woke up to. 'When you visibly see people being brought out of the house and, you know, obviously they're you know, they're in body bags and you can't see them, but, you know. And it, it just, it goes to you. So, you just have to pray and, you know, just hope for the family,' said Dan Claman, a neighbor who lives right across the street. The Des Moines Police Department is working through the investigation, but looks to be able to rule out foul play. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. 'It looks to be that it burned really quickly and it looks like there was a handmade structure out back that may have been part of that. That's that initial fire. So, those are where they're focusing their efforts right now. They're just going to follow the evidence where they take them,' said Sergeant Paul Parizek with the Des Moines Police Department. The one other family member who was taken to the hospital was described as being in 'stable' condition by Sergeant Parizek. Metro News: Homeowner describes how his family escaped burning home that left 3 dead Iowa man accused of fatally neglecting dog and 'dumping' its body to hide crime Names of victims in deadly Des Moines house fire released 3 dead, in south side Des Moines house fire early Wednesday Unexpected pub in Des Moines brings guests of all ages together Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
