Storms spew tornadoes and blizzard threads through out the US
Tornadoes spawned in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as a massive storm blew across the country. The central United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest braced Tuesday for blizzard-like conditions.
The National Weather Service said that as much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow was possible in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, and an area stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was under blizzard warnings. The eastern Great Plains were expected to get ice and sleet.
The weather service warned of a “confirmed tornado” shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday and damage was reported in the Oklahoma town of Wayne. A home in Wayne, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, was shown to have substantial damage in a video from Oklahoma TV station KOCO.
David Cornett said
“There were no deaths or injuries due to the tornado,” McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. David Cornett said. “Bryan Murrell said.” It was clear the damage was widespread as authorities began assessing the damage to the town of Wayne on Tuesday morning.
Murrell said that there is significant damage to multiple family structures, including barns and power lines, in and around the town.
The tornado was rated EF-2 and National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Speheger said wind speeds reached 111-135 mph (179-211 kph). According to the weather service, it was likely on the ground for about two to four minutes.
“That’s the only (tornado) we’ve confirmed so far,” Speheger said, “although there are some other areas we’re still assessing” south and east of Wayne.
At least two tornadoes were spotted along the front edge of the storm as it headed toward the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area Tuesday morning in Texas, though the extent of any damage was not immediately known
In parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota, the National Weather Service warned that up to about half an inch (2.5 centimeters) of ice could form and winds could gust up to 45 mph (72 kph). The region was threatened by power outages, tree damage, falling branches, and hazardous travel conditions.
The National Weather Service said that up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of snow was expected in the northwest, and all of western Nebraska was under a blizzard warning from Tuesday through Thursday. Officials said that at times, winds of more than 50 mph (80 kph) will make it impossible to see outdoors.
Interstate 80 and Interstate 76 were closed by the Nebraska Department of Transportation in the west due to heavy snow and high winds making travel dangerous. The Nebraska State Patrol urged people to stay off the roads after being called to deal with several crashes and jackknifed semitrailers overnight.
“Essentially, there are no people travelling right now,” said Justin McCallum, a manager at the Flying J truck stop at Ogallala, Nebraska. “He said he got to work before the roads were closed,” she said, “but likely won’t be able to get back home Tuesday.” I can see the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I think I’ll get a motel room here for tonight.
This storm is no joke, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s Monday tweet. People were urged to stay home and stock up on essentials.
Interstate 90 across western South Dakota, which is 200 miles (322 kilometers), was closed Tuesday morning due to “freezing rain, heavy snow, and high winds,” according to the state’s Department of Transportation. The department said that Interstate 29 will likely close and that secondary highways will become “impassable.”
Tornadoes, strong winds, hail and flash flooding were expected Tuesday with eastern Texas, much of Louisiana and western Mississippi at greatest risk for severe storms, farther south. According to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the severe weather threat continues into Wednesday for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
“Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland, said that it will be a busy week while this system moves across the country,” said
The same system that dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada over the weekend before moving east is responsible for the current weather.
A tour bus crashed Monday morning in northern Utah as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the region. The state’s Highway Patrol said in a statement that the bus flipped onto its side in Tremonton after the driver lost control while switching lanes. Some passengers were seriously injured, according to the Highway Patrol.
Late Wednesday, forecasters said the storm system was expected to move into the Northeast and central Appalachians with snow and freezing rain. The storm was expected to bring risks of flooding to southwest Mississippi after moving through the south.