Unusually vicious and damaging weather across multiple US states resulted in violent tornadoes, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires over the weekend, leaving at least 39 people dead.
In the latest tally of the destruction, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said on Sunday evening that more than 400 homes were damaged as wildfires swept across the state.
At least 74 homes in and around Stillwater were destroyed by wildfires, mayor Will Joyce said on Facebook.
The emergency management department also said the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed four fatalities related to the fires or to high winds.
The National Weather Service said weekend tornado watches had mostly expired, but dangerous winds were still possible in the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida.
In Mississippi, Hailey Hart and her fiance Steve Romero hunkered down with their three huskies inside their car as a tornado ripped apart their home in Tylertown on Saturday.
Mr Romero said he prayed out loud and hugged Ms Hart as the car rolled on to its side, windows shattering, before it landed on its wheels again. After the twister passed, they could hear people nearby screaming for help.
“It was a bad dream come true,” Mr Romero said.
Next door, Ms Hart’s grandparents crawled out from the rubble of their destroyed house after they had sought shelter in a bathroom as falling trees caused the roof to collapse.
“Everything was coming down on us,” said Donna Blansett, Ms Hart’s grandmother. “All I could do was pray to God to save us.”
They escaped with just a few scratches and aches. Family members, friends and volunteers spent Sunday removing debris and salvaging anything they could find, including some damp clothes, a photo album and a few toiletries.
“I’m so happy you’re alive,” Ms Hart said through tears, as she embraced her grandmother on Sunday.
The storm that began on Friday earned an unusual “high risk” designation from weather forecasters. Experts said it is not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.
US president Donald Trump said in a post on his social media network that his administration is ready to assist affected communities.
“Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!” he posted.
At least three people, including an 82-year-old woman, were killed in central Alabama when multiple tornadoes swept across the state.
In Troy, Alabama, officials said the recreation centre where many residents had taken refuge had to be closed due to damage from overnight storms. No one was injured.
Missouri resident Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing trapped neighbours found five bodies scattered in rubble on Friday night outside what remained of his aunt’s house in hard-hit Wayne County. Scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people in the state, authorities said.
“It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night,” Mr Henderson said on Saturday, not far from the home where he said they rescued his aunt through a window of the only room left standing.
Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, Missouri, described the home where one man was killed as “just a debris field”.
“The floor was upside down,” he said. “We were walking on walls.”
In Mississippi, governor Tate Reeves announced that six people had died and more than 200 were displaced after tornadoes created devastation across three counties. In the northern part of the state, roads were inundated and some people were stranded by floodwaters.
In Arkansas, officials confirmed three deaths.
Wind-driven wildfires caused extensive damage in Texas and Oklahoma and officials warned on Sunday that parts of both states would again face an increased risk of fire danger in the coming week.
More than 130 fires were reported across Oklahoma, governor Kevin Stitt said.
“Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70mph,” said Terry Essary, the fire chief of Stillwater, Oklahoma. “It’s an insurmountable task.”
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said on Sunday that two people had been killed as a result of the wildfires and weather.
Meanwhile, dust storms spurred by high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday.
Eight people died in a Kansas road pile-up involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol.
Authorities said three people were also killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, Texas. – AP
