Tornadoes and floods killed at least 14 people, including a 2-year-old girl, in the South and Midwest on Sunday. Part of the Interstate 44 was closed due to the flooding; officials say it would take at least a day before it can be reopened. Interstate 70 in western Kansas was also shut down.
The Severe Weather also left a trail of destruction, knocking down trees and powerlines which measure 35 miles long and 15 miles wide. Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said in a statement, “It is heartbreaking and upsetting, to say the least,” according to USA Today.
The tornado in Texas flattened homes and flipped over several pickup trucks at a Dodge dealership in Canton.
Many have died during the storm
A metal Soccer Goal post was blown away due to strong winds and struck 2-year-old Melanie Espinoza Rodriguez. She was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead moments later.
In Arkansas, Fire Chief Doug Decker died on Sunday morning after being hit by a vehicle while he was on Highway 25 on duty. He was checking the water level when the tragedy happened. The casualty was considered to be storm-related.
In Northwest Arkansas, an 18-month-old girl and a 4-year-old boy are still missing on Sunday after the vehicle they were in was swept away from the bridge by the strong current of floodwaters.
In Mississippi, a 7-year-old boy was electrocuted and killed when he unplugged an electric golf cart and accidentally dropped the cord in the water on the ground.
In Missouri, a man tried to save his 72-year-old wife after their vehicle was carried away by floodwaters. However, his efforts were futile, and his wife’s body was found after the flood waters have receded.
A falling tree hit a 65-year-old woman in DeWitt and died.
Reports of tornadoes
There was a total of four tornadoes and a twister discovered by the National Weather Service, the first being reported at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Emergency crews weren’t able to respond as quickly as they could due to the severe weather.
Alexa Halik, a resident of Clinton, Mississippi, was only expecting heavy rains before she went to bed on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, she was shocked to see her neighborhood’s destruction.
The storms caused isolated pockets of damage, as seen in Halik’s hometown. She was expecting there would be destruction everywhere, but as it turns out, the storm only hit their small subdivision.
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