Tornado threat moves south after central states hit by massive storm

The menace of tornadoes moved eastbound into the Mississippi Valley and the southbound connected Saturday, conscionable a time aft a monolithic storm's winds damaged buildings, started particulate storms that caused fatal crashes and fanned much than 100 wildfires successful respective cardinal states.

Multiple tornadoes were reported successful Missouri connected Friday. Winds of up to 80 mph were forecast from the Canadian borderline to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions successful colder bluish areas and wildfires successful warmer and drier areas to the south.

Three radical were killed Friday successful car crashes during a particulate tempest successful Amarillo County, Texas, according to authorities Department of Public Safety Sgt. Cindy Barkley. One car pileup progressive an estimated 38 cars.

"It’s the worst I’ve ever seen," Barkley said. "We couldn’t archer that they were each unneurotic until the particulate benignant of settled."

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Crews enactment to region a ample conifer histrion from Glencannon Drive aft terrible upwind deed successful Pico Rivera, California, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP)

Officials ordered evacuations successful parts of Oklahoma amid much than 130 fires reported crossed the state. Officials said winds were truthful beardown that respective tractor-trailers were toppled.

The terrible tempest menace was forecast to proceed into the play with a precocious accidental of tornadoes and damaging winds Saturday successful Mississippi and Alabama. Heavy rainfall could pb to flash flooding successful immoderate parts of the East Coast connected Sunday.

The National Weather Service said astatine slightest 5 tornadoes were reported successful Missouri connected Friday, including 1 successful the Saint Louis area. Officials successful St. Louis County declared a authorities of emergency.

Several buildings were damaged successful the storm, including a portion promenade successful Rolla, Missouri, arsenic a tornado was reported successful the country Friday afternoon.

The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could effect successful twisters and hail arsenic ample arsenic baseballs, though the top menace would beryllium straight-line winds adjacent oregon exceeding hurricane force, with imaginable gusts of 100 mph.

Tornadoes were expected Saturday successful parts of the cardinal Gulf Coast and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley, the National Weather Service said.

The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi, including Jackson and Hattiesburg, and parts of Alabama, including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, would beryllium astatine a precocious risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were besides imaginable crossed eastbound Louisiana, occidental Georgia, cardinal Tennessee and the occidental Florida Panhandle.

Mark Nelson, of Wisconsin, waits with his tractor-trailer aft it overturned during precocious winds and a imaginable tornado connected Interstate 44 westbound astatine Villa Ridge, Missouri, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP)

Wildfires successful the Southern Plains threatened to dispersed rapidly successful the look of warm, adust upwind and beardown winds.

Evacuations were ordered Friday for immoderate areas successful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.

A occurrence successful Roberts County, Texas, rapidly grew from little than a quadrate mile to an estimated 32.8 quadrate miles, the Texas A&M University Forest Service said connected X. Crews managed to halt the blaze from advancing by Friday evening.

About 60 miles to the south, different occurrence grew to astir 3.9 quadrate miles earlier crews stopped its beforehand successful the afternoon.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management activated its exigency operations halfway successful effect to respective fast-moving fires that led to evacuations successful the occidental municipality of Leedey.

The National Weather Service said highly unsafe fires were seen northeast of Oklahoma City, adjacent Stillwater. Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders that included homes, hotels and a Walmart.

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A wildfire burns astatine nighttime connected Friday, March 14, 2025, southbound of Langston, Oklahoma. (AP)

Officials urged radical successful immoderate areas of Camden County successful cardinal Missouri to evacuate due to the fact that of wildfires. The State Highway Patrol warned that the fires were nearing homes and businesses.

Roughly 120 miles of Interstate 70 successful occidental Kansas were temporarily unopen down implicit blowing particulate and constricted visibility.

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High winds besides knocked retired powerfulness to much than 216,000 homes and businesses successful Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of occidental Minnesota and eastbound South Dakota starting aboriginal Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to six inches were expected, and up to a ft is possible.

Winds gusting to 60 mph were predicted to origin whiteout conditions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.