Cooke County, Texas – At least 7 people were killed, including two children, and more than 100 individuals were injured due to reported tornadoes that struck Cooke, Collin, and Denton counties on Saturday night. Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited the hardest-hit area of Cooke County on Sunday, where he issued a disaster declaration for the affected counties.
A string of severe storms ravaged the central and southern regions of the U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 individuals and causing widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and power infrastructure.
Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky declared a state of emergency after reporting five fatalities in the state, including a man who suffered a heart attack while clearing fallen trees in western Kentucky’s Caldwell County. The storm also claimed lives in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, just north of a record-setting early-season heatwave that stretched from south Texas to Florida.
Forecasters warned of continued severe weather moving towards the East Coast on Memorial Day, with millions of people urged to remain vigilant as a tornado watch was issued from North Carolina to Maryland. The death toll included seven individuals in Cooke County, Texas, and eight fatalities in Arkansas.
The storm interrupted an outdoor wedding in Mayes County, Oklahoma, resulting in two casualties and injuries among guests. As of Monday afternoon, over 400,000 customers were without power in the eastern U.S., with Kentucky reporting about 125,000 outages.
President Joe Biden expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and assured that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was conducting damage assessments on the ground. He reached out to governors to assess the need for federal assistance in the affected areas.
The recent spate of tornadoes and severe weather across the nation’s midsection highlighted a concerning trend exacerbated by climate change, with April recording the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country. Warm, moist air patterns have fueled the severe weather outbreaks over the past two months, resulting in a dangerous tornado season.
The unprecedented warmth, driven by a persistent heat dome, has brought summer-like temperatures to late May, with extreme heatwaves sweeping through southern states like Texas and Florida. Cities like Miami and Dallas reported record high temperatures, further underscoring the impact of climate change on extreme weather events.
Experts attribute the recent surge in severe weather to a combination of warm, moist air and climate instability, marking a challenging period for communities across the U.S. as they grapple with the aftermath of destructive storms and tornadoes.