Phone lines down in hardest-hit parts of Kentucky due to severe weather, police say
From CNN’s Jillian Sykes
Phone lines were down Monday morning in parts of Kentucky that were hit hardest by severe weather over the weekend, according to a news release from Kentucky State Police that was obtained by CNN affiliateWNKY.
KSP Post 3, which serves several counties in the southern part of the state, reported their phone lines were down, and contingency phone lines had been established.
Bowling Green, a city in Warren County, is within the impacted area.
CNN has reached out to officials to get an update on the outages.
There were more than 200,000 customers in Kentucky without power as of 2:10 a.m. ET on Monday, according topoweroutage.us.
A lot of debris and areas hard to access in Arkansas, says American Red Cross
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
Parts of northwest Arkansas were left with a lot of debris as severe storms hit the state, saidLori Arnold-Ellis, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas.
Arnold-Ellis old CNN's Rosemary Churchthere were houses with roofsmissing, trees onhouses, and a lot of debrisin hard-hit areas.
"It was just adevastating thing to see,knowing that each one of thosehomes was representing a familywho lived there," she said.
Arnold-Ellis said the Red Cross was working to prioritize people's immediate needs and safety.
"We areopening shelters we are findingthe people who need help andwe're seeing how we can makesure that they've got a placeto stay tonight and they've gotsomething to eat," she said.
At least eight people were killed in Arkansas in severe weather, the highest toll among four states that reported deaths in the central United States.
Tornado strength is rated on the EF Scale. Here's what that means
From CNN's Madison Richardson
The National Weather Service rates the strength of tornadoes using theEnhanced Fujita (EF) Scale, which ranks tornadoes from 0 to 5 by assessing damage and determining wind speed.
Here's the damage associated with each level:
EF0: 65- to 85-mph wind gusts
These tornadoes are the least destructive and typically break tree branches, damage road signs and push over small, shallow-rooted trees.
EF1: 86- to 110-mph wind gusts
With similar wind speeds toweak hurricanes, these tornadoes can push moving cars off course, shift mobile homes from their foundations and remove roof surfaces.
EF2: 111- to 135-mph wind gusts
Significant damage starts to emerge from these tornadoes, which can snap or uproot trees, destroy mobile homes and tear roofs completely off homes.
They also can pick up small objects and turn them into dangerous projectiles.
EF3: 136- to 165-mph wind gusts
These tornadoes produce severe damage, uprooting nearly all trees in their path, blowing over large vehicles like trains and buses and significantly damaging buildings.
Less than 5% of all tornadoes are rated EF3 or higher.
EF4: 166- to 200-mph wind gusts
Easily destroying homes, tossing cars and downing large trees, these tornadoes can be devastating.
EF5: 200+-mph wind gusts
These monsters cause complete devastation, flattening nearly everything in their path.
They are rare, with only 59 have been recorded in the United States since 1950, according to theStorm Prediction Center.
Potentially record-breaking heat moves eastward from Texas
From CNN staff
Over 25 million people are under heat alerts, mainly across east and south Texas and central and southern Louisiana and Mississippi, as extreme weather grips parts of the US.
Deadly severe storms tore through Texas over the weekend, killing seven people, including a 2-year-old and 5-year-old, in Cooke County on Saturday night.
South Texas is under an excessive heat warning through Monday evening, and over the next two days, the heat index values could top 119 degrees Fahrenheit in Laredo, and 113 in Austin and Houston.
Records may be set: Temperatures across south Texas will be 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal and nearly two dozen records could be set or tied.
These levels pose a risk of heat illness for anyone with prolonged outdoor exposure during the day, while overnight temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, preventing slight nighttime relief.
These high heat conditions will relax somewhat after Tuesday.
Kentucky governor issues State of Emergency
From CNN’s Jillian Sykes
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshearissued a state of emergency early on Monday morning as the state battles damaging storms.
“Severe weather continues to move through the commonwealth with multiple reports of wind damage and tornadoes,” Beshear said.
“I have issued a State of Emergency to ensure the communities impacted have the resources they need to respond.”
One person has been reported dead inKentucky in the storms.
There are nearly 135,000 customers without power in the state, according to poweroutage.us.
Severe weather threat extends to Memorial Day. Here's what we know.
CNN staff
At least 18 people, including four children, are dead in four states in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky after suspected tornadoes struck the central United States overnight — and as millions face continued severe weather threats through the remainder of the Memorial Day weekend.
Nearly 109 million people across broad swaths of the US were under threat of large hail, damaging winds and a fiercetwisterson Sunday, mainly throughout the mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee River valleys.
At least 11 tornado reports were recorded on Sunday, and more severe weather is expected on Memorial Day.
Here's what to know:
- Death toll: At least 8 people were killed in Arkansas from severe weather that swept through the state. Another 7 people died in Texas, including a 2-year-old and 5-year-old. Two died in in Oklahoma and one death was reported in Kentucky.
- Power outages: More than 642,000 customers across 13 states were without power late Sunday, including more than 135,000 outages in Kentucky alone, according to the tracking websitepoweroutage.us.
- President Joe Biden sent condolences for the people killed in the weekend storms and "everyone who has been affected," and he thanked first responders and emergency personnel for their work.
- Forecast: Over120 millionpeople are at risk of severe weather Monday, concentrated over the East Coast, south of New England, where there is alevel 2out of 5 threat. A rare tornado watch flagged as a particularly dangerous situation was in effect for parts of Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and western Kentucky through 11 p.m. CDT.
- Heat warning: South Texas is underan excessiveheat warningthrough Monday evening. Over the next two days, the heat index values couldtop 119 degreesin Laredo, and 113 in Austin, and Houston.
Severe weather threat to continue through Memorial Day — with tornadoes, hail and strong winds expected
From CNN staff
At least 11 tornado reports were recorded on Sunday, and more severe weather is expected on Memorial Day.
Over 120 million people are at risk of severe weather Monday, concentrated over the East Coast, south of New England, where there is a level 2 out of 5 threat.
Storms that swept through Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky on Sunday continue to move east and pose ongoing threats.
Storms projected through Monday are capable of producing severe tornados, large hail, and damaging winds.
The National Weather Service advises residents to be alert and check the forecast overnight and during their Memorial Day plans.
President Biden sends condolences for storm victims
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden sent condolences Sunday for the people killed in the weekend storms and "everyone who has been affected."
Biden also thanked first responders and emergency personnel for their work.
"Jill and I are praying for those who tragically lost their lives as a result of devastating tornadoes that tore through Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, leveling entire communities and leaving a path of destruction in their wake," the president's statement said.
"This comes as communities across the Midwest and South are still reeling from deadly storms and severe weather," he added.
Federal emergency management officials are conducting damage assessments, and "we stand ready to provide support as needed," Biden said.
Arkansas death toll rises to 8
From CNN’s Joe Sutton
The severe weather that swept through Arkansas killed at least eight people in the state, Arkansas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Cindy Murphy told CNN Sunday evening.
Previously, officials had reported there wereat least five deathsin the state.
At least one person died in Boone County, one in Baxter County, three in Benton County and three in Marion County.
The updated toll means the powerful storm system has killed at least 18 people across four states.
According to officials:
8 people were killed in Arkansas
7 people were killed in Texas
2 people were killed in Oklahoma
1 person was killed in Kentucky
