HOUSTON: At least fifteen people were killed across the central United States as tornadoes and extreme storms hit several states including Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, officials said on Sunday.
Rescue efforts were underway and hundreds of thousands of customers were without power after the storms hit the Southern Plains region beginning late Saturday, AFP reported.
In Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told a media conference that 7 people were dead after a tornado ripped through the Valley View area, north of Dallas, according to local media reports.
Search and rescue operations were underway. Texas Governor Gregg Abbott signed a decree for four counties that frees up money and staff to assist people whose homes were destroyed or damaged.
The twister destroyed a gas station and homes and overturned vehicles on an interstate highway. Sappington called the damage “pretty extensive,” in an interview with The Weather Channel.
In Oklahoma, at least 2 people were dead after a tornado battered Mayes County late Saturday, the county head of emergency management Johnny Janzen told a local media outlet.
And in Arkansas, 5 people were killed in storms in the early hours of Sunday. Power lines and trees were downed, and some areas faced flash flooding.
Another death was reported in Louisville, Kentucky, according to Mayor Craig Greenberg.
As far north as Indiana, the start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed for four hours Sunday because of storms in the area, with fans asked to exit the bleachers and seek shelter.
A crowd of 125,000 was likely for the race, one of the most emblematic car races in America.
Power Disruption in United States
As the storm system moved across the country, about 490,000 customers were without power in states stretching from Texas up to Kansas and east to Ohio and Kentucky.
Tornado alerts were still active in several areas.
