More than sixty people hid inside a Texas truck stop as a devastating tornado ripped by the gas station.
On Sunday, severe weather pounded the central United States, according to videos shared on social media.
Early morning storms brought powerful tornadoes that devastated sections of Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas, killing over a dozen people and causing extensive damage, according to state and municipal officials.
Severe storms killed at least 15 people, including seven Texans, five Arkansans, two Oklahomans, and one Kentucky resident. The storms also injured scores more and turned countless houses and businesses to rubble.
A 26-year-old woman was discovered dead outside a destroyed home in Boone County, Arkansas, one of at least five victims in the state. Authorities in Benton County, Arkansas, confirmed that several more were hurt, and one more person has died.
Mayes County, Oklahoma’s deputy director of emergency management, Mike Dunham, did not immediately disclose specifics, but the severe weather overnight also killed two others. There were six more casualties.
The storm impacted the northern section of the Lone Star State hard, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who spoke at a press conference on Sunday in front of the truck stop that was damaged by a tornado. According to the governor, at least one strong tornado ripped through Cooke County, resulting in all seven fatalities.
Abbott said it has been a horrific week filled with tragic losses and destroyed homes and businesses. However, as is typical of Texans, they are reacting to this tragedy with compassion, kindness, and giving.
Two children, one aged two and the other 5, lost their lives in North Texas, according to Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington, who announced at the media conference.
Weather experts say this has been a horrendous year for tornado devastation, and hurricane season is just beginning.
