At least 1 dead, multiple people missing in Oklahoma after more than a dozen tornadoes hit 3 states, officials say - CNN

CNN  — 

Severe thunderstorms volition proceed to endanger parts of the south-central US Saturday greeting aft a powerful strategy that spawned tornadoes moved crossed the region, damaging homes successful Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

At slightest 1 idiosyncratic was reported dormant and determination are “multiple missing” successful McCurtain County successful southeastern Oklahoma, which saw important tempest harm aft a imaginable tornado deed the municipality of Idabel, according to region exigency manager Cody McDaniel.

Authorities are inactive trying to find the grade of damages and injuries Friday evening, helium said, adding, “It’s not good.”

In Texas adjacent the state’s borderline with Oklahoma, astatine slightest 50 homes were damaged oregon destroyed successful Lamar County arsenic of Friday evening, the sheriff’s bureau said.

Multiple tornado warnings were successful effect successful Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri Friday night, meaning tornadoes were reported to beryllium connected the crushed oregon indicated by upwind radar. The upwind work recommends residents successful informing areas to determination to a harmless similar a basement oregon interior room.

A preliminary accounting Friday evening from the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center shows 9 tornadoes formed successful Texas, 4 successful Arkansas and 1 successful Oklahoma.

Overnight tornadoes tin beryllium particularly unsafe because they tin beryllium hard to spot arsenic they determination rapidly done an area, and it’s besides much challenging to guarantee residents are warned during those hours.

Plus, much than 100,000 homes and businesses were without powerfulness crossed Arkansas, Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma and eastbound Texas arsenic of aboriginal Saturday, according to Poweroutage.us.

Most of the Texas tornadoes reported occurred on the Red River borderline with Oklahoma, with wide harm reported successful 2 counties.

The National Weather Service confirmed precocious Friday that a tornado moving 45 mph was detected implicit the metropolis of Wrightsville successful Pulaski County, Arkansas, conscionable southbound of Little Rock.

The fig of tornadoes recorded volition apt summation Saturday, and the strength of each 1 volition not beryllium known until section National Weather Service offices behaviour harm surveys, which whitethorn instrumentality respective days.

A abrupt onset of acold upwind amid unseasonably lukewarm conditions had been forecast to make the biggest tornado menace the US has seen successful much than 5 months.

A terrible thunderstorm ticker remains successful effect for parts of eastbound Arkansas, northwestern Mississippi and occidental Tennessee done 4 a.m. section clip Saturday.

Officials successful Lamar County, Texas, declared a catastrophe aft astatine slightest 10 radical were injured erstwhile a tornado tore done the area, according to a quality merchandise from the county’s sheriff’s office. No deaths person been reported.

Two of those injured suffered captious injuries, the sheriff’s bureau said. Earlier Friday, a archetypal responder was injured during the storms successful the region and underwent surgery, County Constable Steven Hill told CNN.

“There has been rather a spot of harm and immoderate injuries,” Lamar County Constable Travis Rhodes told CNN Friday night.

In adjacent Hopkins County, astatine slightest 4 houses were damaged Friday, according to the county’s sheriff’s office.

A pistillate successful Choctaw County, Oklahoma, was injured by a falling histrion arsenic she was trying to get to a tempest shelter, Lewis Collins, a unpaid astatine the Choctaw Office of Emergency Management, told CNN. It’s unclear whether a tornado had occurred successful that area.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt he’s praying for those impacted by the tornadoes.

“Search & rescue teams and generators forwarded to the Idabel area,” helium sad. “Storms deed successful Bryan, Choctaw, and Le Flore counties, among others. Additional flash flooding successful immoderate areas.”

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is urging residents to report tempest harm online to assistance coordinate their response.