Several people were killed and injured as a result of a devastating tornado that hit southeast Missouri on Wednesday morning, the state Highway Patrol reported on the social network Twitter, without specifying casualty figures.
A strong storm is raging from Texas and the Midwest to the Great Lakes with the risk of torrential rain, destructive winds and hail in regions already hit in recent days with deadly tornadoes.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, there are 40 million people from Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis to Memphis on watch;
the greatest threat is in lower Michigan, through the mid-lower Ohio River Valley and in the south-central part.
Deadly tornado in Missouri
According to the National Weather Service, a tornado struck Bollinger County in southeastern
Missouri
on Wednesday morning,
causing an as yet unknown number of deaths and injuries.
A tornado, in Colona, Illinois, U.S., April 4, 2023. Amber Real / Reuters
“A tornado definitely touched down, there is damage to houses,” said meteorologist Justin Gibbs, who explained that the whirlwind traveled up to 20 miles in that area, located 90 south of St. Louis. He added that the weather service will send a team reconnaissance to the area to assess the damage and determine the strength of the tornado.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported damage from the tornado and confirmed that there were deaths and injuries.
These storms come after dozens of tornadoes killed 32 people over the weekend, adding misery and grief to previously devastated areas in 11 Midwestern states.
At least two tornadoes touched down in Illinois on Tuesday among storms that also affected eastern Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin.
The National Weather Service issued watches and confirmed one near Bryant and another in the community of Colona.
On video: Tornado overturns huge 18-wheeler trucks in Illinois
April 5, 202302:19
Early Tuesday, strong thunderstorms swept through the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities area with winds up to 90 miles per hour and hail the size of baseballs.
No injuries were reported, but in Moline, Illinois, some trees were downed and some businesses were damaged.
Winds of 75-80 miles per hour and hail of 2 to 3 inches were reported in northern Illinois from Moline to Chicago Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency received reports of semi-trucks being overturned by the wind in Lee County, about 95 miles west of Chicago.
Drone records devastation in several Arkansas cities after storms and tornadoes
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According to Ryan Bunker of the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the conditions that fueled those storms — an area of low pressure combined with strong southerly winds — are responsible for Wednesday's tornadoes.
These conditions, which often include dry air from the west rising over the Rockies and colliding with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, are what make the US so prone to tornadoes and other severe storms.
Several states are barely recovering from deadly tornadoes and another wave of severe weather is on the way
April 3, 202300:56
Dramatic temperature swings ensued, with highs Tuesday of 74ºF (23ºC) in Des Moines and 86ºF (30ºC) in Kansas City, dipping overnight to 40ºF (4ºC) or cooler.
In Little Rock, Arkansas, Tuesday's high temperature of 89ºF (32ºC) matched the record from 1880.
So far this year there have been at least 478 tornadoes in 25 states, twice the annual average, NBC News reported.
These tornadoes have been linked to at least 63 deaths, not including the multiple fatalities in southeast Missouri.
