Okla. counties in state of emergency after deadly tornadoes; severe thunderstorms head to Texas

At least 4 people have been killed, including an infant girl.

David Artavia
·2 min read
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Two women help carry a friend's belongings out of their damaged home
A view of Bennington, Neb., after a tornado passed through the area on Friday. (Josh Funk/AP)

At least four people have been killed after severe thunderstorms and tornadoes tore through parts of Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa on Saturday night. Hundreds of homes and structures were also damaged due to the storms, prompting Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to issue a state of emergency on Sunday morning in 12 Oklahoma counties.

According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms are expected to move into regions in North Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and the Mississippi Valley on Sunday.

The National Weather Service reported over 100 tornadoes in at least five states in the Great Planes on Friday. Several struck areas in Nebraska and Iowa, where at least nine people were injured and over 400 homes were damaged, according to the New York Times.

The National Weather Service confirmed an additional 30 tornadoes between Saturday afternoon and Sunday from North Texas to southern Wisconsin — as well as golf-ball sized hail in parts of Missouri.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in a Sunday morning briefing that 16 homes in Oklahoma were destroyed due to the weekend’s storms. Dozens more were severely damaged across the state and in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

The storms reportedly killed four people — including an infant girl — in Holdenville, Okla., according to Fox 25 in Oklahoma City. Additional areas are being surveyed in communities west of Oklahoma City and in portions of Texas to confirm if there are more fatalities, the Weather Service said on X.

A house damaged by a tornado
A damaged house near Bennington. (Josh Funk/AP)

Fox Weather is predicting severe thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and evening in parts of East Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and southwestern Missouri.

“The risk for severe weather will continue into a fourth day, Sunday, farther east toward the Mississippi Valley,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. “The threat of tornadoes appears to be lower, but instances of damaging winds and hail are still expected.”

Roughly 42 million people are in areas where severe thunderstorms are expected to occur on Sunday, according to Fox Weather.

From Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, nearly 2 million people across three states — mainly Texas — face an “enhanced” risk of wind damage, large hail and small tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Parts of central and southeastern Texas and the Mississippi Valley are expected to see severe thunderstorms for most of Monday.

According to Fox Weather, the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley is expecting around two to three inches of rainfall. Other areas could see three to five inches. Flood watches are already in effect in East Texas, western Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas, southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri.