Millions Americans across the country are on alert for a severe weather outbreak as violent, long-track tornadoes with damaging winds of up to 80 mph and large hail are expected across the Midwest and South with the cross-country storm moving east.
The same storm system delivered raging winds to the Plains states earlier, leading to wildfires and severe dust storms that left more than a dozen people dead in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
Overall, at least 34 deaths have been recorded from the cross-country storm system.
More than 250,000 customers were without power across six states early Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us, a site that tracks energy providers.
About 70,000 customers were without power in Georgia, followed by about 63,000 in Missouri. Another 42,000 were without power in Tennessee, followed by about 37,000 in North Carolina, about 36,000 in Alabama and about 10,000 in Mississippi.
Farther north, about 40,000 in Michigan and about 15,000 in Ohio were without power.
At least six people have died in Mississippi in the outbreak of tornadoes Saturday, the governor said.
Another three people are missing and 29 people are injured, Gov. Tate Reeves said in a social media post Saturday night.
“Please pray for those who lost their life, those who are missing and those leading the search efforts, those who are healing, and their families,” Reeves said in the post.
Three of the deaths — including of a juvenile — were in Tylertown, not far from the Louisiana state line, according to Tylertown Police Chief Jordan Hill.
The governor signed a state of emergency declaration that he said will allow the state to further mobilize state resources. Overall, 21 counties sustained storm damage and about 16,000 are without power, the governor said.
The deaths in Mississippi brings the total death toll from an outbreak of severe storms over the past day to 34 people as of Saturday evening.
The thing that is often most striking in the aftermath of a tornado is the path of the storm — it’s often so clear, so distinct.
The same held true on Baker Street in tiny Villa Ridge, Missouri, about 40 miles west of St. Louis. When the deadly storm system rumbled over the bi-state area, the tiny hamlet of around 3,000 people was hit hard. A reported tornado cut through more than a dozen homes, leveling the second floors of each while entirely sparing homes on either side of its brutal tear through this area.
Entire walls blown off, offering an unexpected glimpse into people’s bedrooms. A TV hung on a wall above some family pictures, bottles of cologne somehow still standing on the armoire below. A child’s bedroom, books still on the shelves but with no ceiling or walls around it.
There were no reported deaths in the town.
Neighbors said everyone walked away with moderate injuries at the worst. They’d know, too. It’s a close-knit area. By Saturday, people were already out with bobcats and chainsaws, clearing away the massive trees and branches littering the area.
So it goes in “Tornado Alley.” Some are spared, some are not. And everyone knows there’s always a chance it can happen again.
