In the USA, at least 18 people have lost their lives due to tornadoes.

Destructive weather event causes havoc in the region. - In the USA, at least 18 people have lost their lives due to tornadoes.

At least 18 people have died due to storms and tornados across several US states, as per recent reports from the media. The casualties have been confirmed in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

The power outages from the storm caused near-half a million households to lose access to electricity at some point during Monday night, with almost 200,000 of them being in Kentucky. The state declared a state of emergency to provide the necessary resources to the affected regions, as stated by Governor Andy Beshear on the X platform.

The northern part of Texas bore the brunt of the storms over the weekend, which resulted in the death of at least two children - a two-year-old and a five-year-old from Valley View, north of Dallas. Photographs revealed houses totally destroyed and overturned cars. In line with initial forecasts from the US weather service, a tornado from Saturday packed a strength of three on a scale of five, which can produce wind speeds of up to 265 km/h.

North Texas was the worst-hit area over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The weather pattern is forecasted to shift towards the east on Monday. Severe winds, hail, and potential new tornados are all under cautionary warnings for southern Texas. Additionally, temperatures in southern Texas are set to peak at a whopping 48°C.

The US celebrated Memorial Day on Monday - the unofficial start of summer, typically marked by swimming and barbecues. However, in several places, these celebrations might need to be called off due to the weather. Experts attribute the increase in natural disasters in the US - storms, floods, and forest fires - to the impacts of climate change. Per the US weather service, the incidence of tornados has increased markedly in recent years.

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1. The power outages from the storm also affected households in Texas, with around 150,000 homes losing electricity at some point during Monday night.
2. The Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, urged the US media to spread awareness about the ongoing emergencies and the need for donations to aid the affected communities.
3. Despite the weather chaos, some parts of the USA, like Arkansas and Oklahoma, managed to escape major tornado damage, but the overall climate crisis has led to an increase in such events.
4. The destruction caused by the tornados in Kentucky resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, with the exact number yet to be confirmed by authorities.
5. Despite the destruction and loss of life, the spirit of the community in Texas and other affected states remains strong, with many volunteers showing up to help in the clean-up efforts over the weekend.
6. As the storms moved further east, Dallas and other parts of Northern Texas were hit with heavy rain and thunderstorms, causing flooding and further power outages.
7. On a brighter note, the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, which was hit by a tornado earlier this year, has successfully rescued and rehabilitated many animals affected by the storms, offering a glimmer of hope during these challenging times.

Source: www.stern.de