(Nexstar) – A vicious combination of storm conditions left multiple states with a path of destruction this weekend, killing dozens and claiming even more lives.
The dynamic storm pattern that began Friday has earned an unusual “high risk” designation from weathermen. By Sunday evening, deaths had been reported in Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
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It may take several days to know the full extent of the damage caused by the powerful weather phenomenon, but as of Sunday, at least three people, including an 82-year-old woman, have been confirmed to have died in Central Alabama when multiple tornadoes swept the state.
In Troy, Alabama, Parks officials said recreation centers where many residents have evacuated must be closed due to damage from the overnight storm. No one was injured.
“We are grateful that Lord protected more than 200 guests on Saturday night at our community and recreation center storm shelter,” the Parks Department said in a statement.
Deaths from abused Missouri Twisters reach 12
Missouri resident Dakota Henderson said that he and others who are saving him and his locked neighbors discovered five bodies strewn on tile rubs Friday night outside the rest of his aunt’s house in Wayne County. Authorities said the scattered twisters killed at least 12 people.
“What happened to those who were the victims last night is really bothering me,” Henderson said Saturday not too far from the split home.
Butler County, Missouri coroner Jim Akers described a home in which one man was killed as “just a field of debris.”
“The floor was upside down,” he said. “We were walking down the wall.”
Six people died in Mississippi. Three people die in Arkansas
In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that six people have been killed and more than 200 have been evacuated as a tornado was devastated in three counties. And in the northern part of the state, roads have been flooded and some people have been left behind in floods.
One of the deaths occurred in Covington County. There, seminary resident Traci Ladner said the tornadoes knocked down trees and power lines and destroyed the house on Saturday when they returned home from a restaurant in Ward.
The twister touched temporarily, and she said she traveled Highway 49 before returning before making another quick descent.
“I was crying. My legs were shaking. It was pretty scary,” she said.
In Arkansas, authorities have confirmed three deaths.
Wildfires and dust storms drive deaths
Wind wildfires have caused major damage in Texas and Oklahoma, with authorities warning on Sunday that some countries will see another increase in the risk of fire hazards next week.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said more than 130 fires have been reported across Oklahoma, with nearly 300 homes damaged or destroyed.
“We’re excited to be able to help you get the chance to get a better deal,” said Terry Essary, Fire Chief of Stillwater, Oklahoma. “That’s an insurmountable job.”
Keri Cain, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said two people were killed Sunday as a result of wildfires and weather.
Meanwhile, Duststorm, spurred by strong winds, insisted on living for almost 12 people on Friday. Eight people have been killed in the Kansas Highway Pileup, which includes at least 50 vehicles, according to State Highway Patrol. Authorities said three people were killed in a car accident during a dust storm at Amarillo, the Texas Panhandle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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