Tornado-spawning thunderstorms that swept the Southern Plains and the Ozark Mountains have killed at least 21 people across four U.S. states as of Monday afternoon and wrecked hundreds of buildings, as forecasters warned of more severe weather.
The death toll over the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend included at least eight fatalities in Arkansas, seven in Texas, four in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma, according to tallies by state emergency authorities.
A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania until Monday evening, the National Weather Service said. The watch was in effect for more than 30 million people in the Northeast, as the storms were expected to move to that part of the East Coast.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early on Monday. The weather service, opens new tab issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia and for several western South Carolina counties until at least Monday afternoon.
Severe weather continues to move through the commonwealth with multiple reports of wind damage and tornadoes. I have issued a State of Emergency to ensure the communities impacted have the resources they need to respond.
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 27, 2024
President Joe Biden offered condolences for the lives lost when he spoke on Monday with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Governors Abbott and Sanders, the White House said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground conducting damage assessments with state and local counterparts, the White House said, adding that Biden had directed federal agencies to provide support as needed.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans were without power on Monday due to the weather, according to the PowerOutage.US tracking website. In Kentucky alone, more than 160,000 customers lacked electricity.
