By Jerald Jimenez
May 26, 2024, 12:33 PM EDT
Six people, including children, have been killed in Texas and Arkansas allegedly by tornadoes that hit the region over the weekend, causing power outages and forcing residents to seek shelter.
Five deaths were reported in Cooke County, three of which occurred in a single home. Two children disappeared and their whereabouts are currently unknown in the same county, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington reported in statements reported by CNN.
Likewise, in Arkansas, another person died, presumed to be related to the tornado, which hit Benton County, the county’s security administrator told the aforementioned media.
The Storm Prediction Center warned of “violent tornadoes, extreme hail and corridors of widespread wind damage” as the storms move eastward.
Between 60 and 80 people were trapped until the storm passed at a Shell gas station, Sappington said. Multiple injuries were reported at the station, but none were life-threatening.
Many vehicles were damaged and destroyed, leaving around 40 people stranded. They were transported by bus to another gas station in Gainesville, where they were picked up by family members.
In northern Denton County, Texas, an unknown number of people were injured and several homes were damaged by a suspected tornado. Several vehicles were overturned and power lines were downed Saturday night.
Several homes in the neighboring town of Celina were damaged, where authorities said the town was affected by “apparent activity.”
The latest reports come as more than 110 million people across large areas of the United States are under the threat of large hail, damaging winds and fierce tornadoes on Sunday, primarily in the central valleys of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers.
With information from CNN