Latest USA: Tornadoes and rain bring destruction and death
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are sweeping across parts of the US Midwest and South, causing at least two deaths and damaging homes.
03.04.2025, 14:11
SDA
According to figures released by the US website PowerOutage early this morning (local time), more than 300,000 connections in seven states lost power - including more than 100,000 in Indiana.
The Tennessee State Emergency Management Agency reported two deaths. According to media reports, there was at least one further fatality there. The media also reported one death in the state of Missouri - although it is still unclear whether this was directly related to the storms.
According to the news channel CNN, an area with a population of around 14 million was under a tornado watch, from Ohio in the Midwest to Mississippi in the south-east of the USA. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning - the second-highest warning level - for some areas of the states of Tennessee and West Virginia. It called on people there to get to safety immediately and take cover.
"Potentially historic" floods
The NWS warned of "life-threatening, catastrophic and potentially historic" flash flooding from the storms. These will continue to make themselves felt until Saturday. According to the weather service, the risk of heavy rain is highest today in parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. There is also a risk of further tornadoes, large hail and destructive winds, especially in some southern states. Weather experts warned of possible flooding from Ohio to the far north-east of Texas.
In Missouri and Arkansas in particular, the storms destroyed houses and farms, reported CNN. In the state of Indiana, a radio tower toppled over. In addition, violent winds uprooted trees in many places. Emergency shelters were set up and opened in several states in the Mid-South, such as Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, as reported by the TV channel Fox News.
Tornadoes can occur all year round
It was only in March that severe storms in the South and Midwest claimed at least 40 lives. Even then, the state of Missouri, among others, was severely affected. In eight states - in addition to Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama and Indiana - a total of around 80 tornadoes were reported at the time and dozens were confirmed as such. By way of comparison, according to the German Weather Service, there are an average of around 45 tornadoes per year in Germany.
According to the US Weather Service, tornadoes can occur in the USA at any time of year. However, depending on the geographical location, there are months in which they occur particularly frequently. They occur when there are large temperature differences and often occur together with thunderstorms. A trunk-like tube of cloud extends from the thundercloud down to ground level.
