A look at the 42 deaths linked to severe storms in the US

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This article was published 17/03/2025 (263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A series of storms that sparked tornadoes, wildfires, high winds and dust storms while barreling across eight states over the weekend have left at least 42 people dead and dozens injured.

Scattered tornadoes in Missouri killed over a dozen people, and a string of twisters in Mississippi — including two that hit near the same town within about an hour — left six people dead. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed throughout the South and the Midwest.

The violent weather began Friday and earned an unusual “high risk” designation from meteorologists.

There were 46 tornadoes on Friday and 41 on Saturday, according to a preliminary count. The storm also spurred more than 130 wind-driven wildfires that damaged more than 400 homes in Oklahoma. Dozens of fires were still burning across the state on Monday, said Keith Merckx at Oklahoma Forestry Services.

Here’s a look at how the storm impacted each state:

Missouri – 13 deaths

Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state. Among those killed was a man whose home was ripped apart by a tornado as he slept. A woman in the home suffered serious injuries but was rescued by emergency responders who hiked through a field of debris to get to the residence.

The storms mainly hit late Friday and early Saturday in several of the state’s southern counties.

Mississippi – 6 deaths

A string of tornadoes across three counties in Mississippi killed six people and left more than 200 others homeless, Gov. Tate Reeves said.

The National Weather Service confirmed two of the twisters hit within about an hour of each other on Saturday in Walthall County, which is home to hard-hit Tylertown — where two adults and a child were killed and multiple people were injured.

Alabama – 3 deaths

Tornadoes killed three people in Alabama. A man who was sheltering inside his workshop in Plantersville, but his wife escaped injury. An 82-year-old woman was also killed, and residents described them both as well-loved members of the community.

Arkansas – 3 deaths

The National Weather Services says at least nine tornadoes hit Arkansas. Three people were killed in Independence County in the northeast section of the state, while 29 people were injured across eight counties.

North Carolina – 2 deaths

Two boys ages 11 and 13 were killed when a tree fell on their home in western North Carolina early Sunday, according to firefighters in Transylvania County. Firefighters found them amid the uprooted 3-foot-wide tree after relatives said they had been trapped in their bedroom, officials said.

Oklahoma – 4 deaths

Wind-driven wildfires across Oklahoma destroyed more than 400 homes, including more than 70 in and around Stillwater, home to Oklahoma State University. Four deaths were blamed on the fires or high winds, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.

Officials in Oklahoma and Texas are warning that parts of both states will again face an increased risk of fire danger this week.

Kansas and Texas – 11 deaths

High winds spurred several dust storms that led to almost a dozen deaths in car crashes on Friday.

Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.