Massive US storm brings tornado warnings, blizzard threat

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An enormous storm blowing throughout the nation spawned tornadoes in components of Oklahoma and Texas, together with the Dallas-Fort Worth space, as a lot of the central United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest braced Tuesday for blizzard-like circumstances.

An space stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was below blizzard warnings, and the National Weather Service stated that as a lot as 2 ft (61 centimeters) of snow was potential in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. Ice and sleet have been anticipated within the japanese Great Plains.

Meanwhile, injury was reported within the Oklahoma city of Wayne after the climate service warned of a “confirmed tornado” shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday. Video footage from Oklahoma TV station KOCO confirmed substantial injury to a house in Wayne, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.

There have been no deaths or accidents because of the tornado, McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell stated. But as authorities started assessing the injury to the city of Wayne on Tuesday morning, it was clear the injury was widespread.

“We’ve got multiple family structures with significant damage … barns, power lines down” in and across the city, Murrell stated.

In Texas, at the least two tornadoes have been noticed alongside the entrance fringe of the storm because it headed towards the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan space Tuesday morning, although the extent of any injury was not instantly identified.

The National Weather Service warned that as much as about half an inch (2.5 centimeters) of ice might kind and winds might gust as much as 45 mph (72 kph) in components of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Power outages, tree injury, falling branches and unsafe journey circumstances all threatened the area.

All of western Nebraska was below a blizzard warning from Tuesday by Thursday, and the National Weather Services stated as much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of snow was anticipated within the northwest. Winds of greater than 50 mph (80 kph) at occasions will make it unattainable to see outdoor, officers stated.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed stretches of Interstate 80 and Interstate 76 in western as heavy snow and excessive winds made journey harmful. The Nebraska State Patrol, which was referred to as to cope with a number of crashes and jackknifed semitrailers in a single day, urged folks to remain off the roads.

“There’s essentially no one traveling right now,” stated Justin McCallum, a supervisor on the Flying J truck cease at Ogallala, Nebraska. He stated he started working earlier than the roads have been closed, however probably received’t be capable to get again residence Tuesday. “I can see to the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I’ll probably just get a motel room here tonight.”

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety tweeted Monday: “This is a ‘we are not kidding’ kind of storm.” People have been urged to replenish on necessities and keep residence.

Portions of Interstate 90 and Interstate 29 by South Dakota have been anticipated to be closed by mid-morning Tuesday because of “freezing rain, substantial snow totals, low visibility, drifting snow and high winds,” the state’s Department of Transportation stated. Secondary highways will probably change into “impassable,” it stated.

Farther south, tornadoes, sturdy winds, hail and flash flooding have been anticipated Tuesday with japanese Texas, a lot of Louisiana and western Mississippi at best danger for extreme storms. The extreme climate threat continues into Wednesday for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, in keeping with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

“It will be a busy week while this system moves across the country,” stated Marc Chenard, a meteorologist on the National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland.

The climate is a part of the identical system that dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada over the weekend earlier than transferring east.

In northern Utah, a tour bus crashed Monday morning as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the area. The bus flipped onto its aspect in Tremonton after the motive force misplaced management whereas switching lanes, the state’s Highway Patrol stated in an announcement. The Highway Patrol stated 23 passengers have been injured, together with some critically.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.