A monster storm has swept across the United States, triggering tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms and killing at least 19 people.
Most of the fatalities occurred in Missouri from an outbreak of several tornadoes that flipped semi-trailers and demolished homes, claiming 11 lives.
The extreme weather system also fuelled 100 wildfires in central US, and caused fatal car accidents in Texas from blinding dust storms.
DRONE DAMAGE: Our field correspondents are on the ground in Tylertown, MS after a large and powerful #tornado 🌪️ tore through the community. #MSwx
Take a look at the scenes below 🔽🔽 pic.twitter.com/iOvjAJpoeR
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) March 15, 2025
The massive storm system moved across southern and central US, impacting numerous states including Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Illinois and Mississippi.
More extreme weather conditions — including hurricane-force winds — are forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people.
Winds gusting up to 130 km/h were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier areas to the south.
“Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected this afternoon and evening,” the National Weather Service said Saturday.
Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, Missouri, said one person was killed early Saturday after a tornado ripped apart a home roughly 177 kilometres east of Bakersfield.
“It was unrecognizable to be a home. Just a debris field,” Akers said, describing the scene that confronted rescuers when they arrived.
Tornado that went through Taylorsville @ryanhallyall pic.twitter.com/TA6mSjC82g
— Grant (@GrantGrantbon) March 15, 2025
“The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”
Three people were killed Friday in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo County in the Texas Panhandle, according to Sergeant Cindy Barkley.
One pile-up involved an estimated 38 cars.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” Barkley said, calling the near-zero visibility a nightmare.
“We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled.”
The weather service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Several buildings were damaged.
The Storm Prediction Centre said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 160 km/h possible.
Homes reduced to slabs over Diaz, Arkansas. At least 16 dead from overnight tornadoes.
📷 Ronnie Burress
03/15/2025 pic.twitter.com/tStIUD6Rot
— Casimiro Cervantes (Casimiro Media Productions) (@CasimiroMedia) March 15, 2025
The Storm Prediction Centre said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk.
Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.
