Five Killed as Deadly Tornadoes Hit Central Central US States
No fewer than five persons, including a four-month-old baby, have lost their lives as dozens of tornadoes ripped through the central US, wrecking havoc on the city.
As a result of the heavy storms that began on Friday, tens of thousands of residents have been left without power.
Four of the deaths happened in Oklahoma, where a state of emergency has been declared in a dozen counties.
A fifth person died from their injuries in Iowa after a separate storm system hit the Midwest, local media reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that a preliminary investigation shows some of Saturday's tornadoes had gusts of above 136 miles (218km) an hour.
The storms, spanning from Texas to Missouri, brought heavy rainfall of up to seven inches (18cm) in some areas within a few hours, as reported by the AFP news agency.
Sulphur, situated in eastern Oklahoma, bore the brunt of the devastation, with footage depicting flattened homes and overturned vehicles in the aftermath.
Approximately 100 injuries were reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Holdenville and Marietta also suffered significant damage.
Charles McCall, the speaker of the Oklahoma state House of Representatives, expressed confidence in the recovery of the affected areas during a news conference in Sulphur, stating, "We will rise we'll clean up, we'll rebuild, and we'll move forward."
Governor Kevin Stitt, who visited Sulphur, remarked that the damage there was the most severe he had witnessed during his six-year tenure.
"You just can't believe the destruction," he said.
"It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed."
It comes after a separate weather system brought more than 70 tornadoes to the Midwestern states of Nebraska and Iowa on Friday.
Most happened around the city of Omaha, where one resident described his ordeal.
"Saw this big tornado coming and just had to cover with the kids and wife as fast as we could," Brent Richardson told the Associated Press.
Loudest freight train you've ever heard in your life coming right through your house."
"Utter destruction, just chaos. A neighbourhood that's trying to band together to help people out and you have some people trapped in houses that we're trying to get out and there's houses that aren't standing any more."
Nebraska's governor issued emergency declarations for three counties on Sunday, making them also eligible for extra funding towards rescue and recovery operations.
Further severe weather has been forecast.
"The threat of tornadoes appears to be lower, but instances of damaging winds and hail are still expected, especially across north-eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, Arkansas and southern Missouri," meteorologist Brandon Buckingham from the commercial forecaster AccuWeather reported.
