As much of the central section of the country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest, braces for blizzard-like conditions, a massive storm sweeping across the United States has produced tornadoes in some areas of Oklahoma and Texas.
The US National Weather Service warned on Tuesday that as much as 61 cm (two feet) of snow was expected in some areas of western South Dakota and northern Nebraska, and that blizzard warnings were in effect for a region extending from Montana through western Nebraska and Colorado. In the eastern Great Plains, ice and precipitation were anticipated.
After the weather service issued a tornado warning shortly after 5 a.m. (11:00 gmt) on Tuesday, damage was reported in the Oklahoma town of Wayne. A residence in Wayne, Oklahoma, which is around 72 kilometers (45 miles) south of Oklahoma City, was shown to have significant damage in video from the Oklahoma TV station KOCO.
The tornado did not result in any fatalities or injuries, according to McClain County Sheriff’s Captain Bryan Murrell. However, it became evident that the devastation was extensive as the authorities started to examine the town.
We have numerous family structures that have sustained substantial harm. Barns and downed power lines in and near Wayne, according to Murrell.
Doug Speheger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, reported wind gusts of 179 to 211 kilometres per hour (111 to 135 miles per hour). On the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which rates tornado damage on a scale of zero to five, the tornado received a level two rating.
The weather agency estimates it was on the ground for two to four minutes.
although there are some additional locations we’re still analyzing” south and east of Wayne, this is the only [tornado] we’ve confirmed thus far. said Speheger.
Although the amount of any damage was not immediately known, at least two tornadoes were seen in Texas along the storm’s front edge as it moved toward the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region on Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a warning for sections of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, saying that up to 2.5 centimeters (about half an inch) of ice might form and winds could gust as high as 72 km/h (45 mph). The area was under danger from power outages, tree damage, falling branches, and hazardous road conditions.
From Tuesday through Thursday, a blizzard warning covered the entirety of western Nebraska, and the National Weather Service predicted that the northwest would receive up to 51 centimeters (20 inches) of snow. Officials warned that visibility outside will occasionally be impossible due to winds of more than 80 km/h (50 mph).
The Nebraska Department of Transportation blocked portions of Interstates 80 and 76 in the west due to hazardous travel conditions caused by heavy snowfall and strong winds. The Nebraska State Patrol, which was called in the previous night to deal with a number of collisions and jackknifed semi-tractor-trailers, warned people to stay off the highways.
Almost no one is now traveling, according to Justin McCallum, manager of the Flying J truck stop in Ogallala, Nebraska. He claimed that despite arriving at work before the roads were shut down, he probably won’t be able to return home on Tuesday. The first set of poles outside the doors are visible to me, but I am unable to view the rest of the lot just outside. Tonight, I’ll most likely just book a room at a local motel.
This is a storm that “we are not kidding” about, according to a tweet from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety on Monday. It was advised that everyone stock up on necessities and stay inside.
The state’s Department of Transportation reported that on Tuesday morning, “freezing rain, heavy snow, and high winds” caused the closure of a 322-kilometer (200-mile) section of Interstate 90 in western South Dakota. The government stated that secondary roadways will probably become “impassable” and that Interstate 29 will also likely close.
On Tuesday, severe storms were predicted farther south, with the greatest threat for tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, and flash flooding in eastern Texas, much of Louisiana, and western Mississippi. According to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the severe weather threat for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle remains Wednesday.
As this system progresses across the nation, “it will be a busy week,” predicted Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland.
The weather is a component of the same system that over the weekend dumped a lot of snow on the Sierra Nevada before moving east.
On Monday morning, a tour bus crashed in northern Utah as the area was covered in snow and subzero temperatures. According to a statement from the state’s Highway Patrol, the bus crashed onto its side in Tremonton when the driver lost control while changing lanes. According to the Highway Patrol, 23 people were hurt, some critically.
By late Wednesday, the storm system was predicted to move into the Northeast and central Appalachians, dumping snow and freezing rain. The storm was forecast to travel through southwest Mississippi toward the south, posing a risk of flooding.
