Over Memorial Day weekend, severe storms devastated regions of the United States, killing at least 22 and injuring hundreds more.
Prior to making their way toward the East Coast on Monday night, the storms made the most damage in areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
At a news conference on Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) revealed that five individuals in his state had passed away, one of them was a 54-year-old man who suffered a heart attack as he was cutting down fallen trees. A state of emergency was proclaimed by the governor early on Monday, citing reports of tornadoes and wind damage.
According to officials, there were two fatalities in Mayes County, Oklahoma.
A tornado that tore through a rural area close to a mobile home park on Saturday resulted in the deaths of seven individuals in Cooke County, Texas.
Two children, aged two and five, were among the deceased, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Over 200 houses and other buildings were damaged, and about 100 people were hurt. Authorities in the Valley View subdivision reported wind gusts as high as 135 mph.
“Storm after storm has literally crushed the hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses,” Abbott stated.
Read Also: Texas Tornado: Deadliest Since 2015 Leaves 7 Dead, Children Among Victims
Abbott declared 108 counties in Texas to be under a state of disaster as of Sunday.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas announced on Sunday night that eight people had perished in the state due to storms.
Two deaths were linked to the storm’s circumstances rather than the weather itself since one victim experienced a heart attack and the other lost oxygen due to a power outage.
According to investigators, one of the other deaths in Arkansas was a 26-year-old woman who was discovered inside a demolished home in Boone County. Records show that two people died in Marion County and one person died in Benton County.
Residents from North Carolina to Maryland were under a tornado watch, and those from Alabama to New York were under the highest alert for severe weather as the storms moved toward the eastern United States late on Monday afternoon.
Over 400,000 customers had lost power by Monday afternoon, primarily in the eastern region of the country, with about 125,000 of those accounts located in Kentucky.
As he and the first lady expressed their prayers for the deceased on Sunday night, President Biden expressed his sorrow for the storm victims.
In a statement, Biden committed to sending federal disaster relief to the region and stated, “This comes as communities across the Midwest and South are still reeling from deadly storms and severe weather.”
