Baghdad-INA
At least five people were killed in devastating tornadoes that swept through part of the Great Plains in the central United States, according to local authorities.
After 78 tornadoes were recorded on Friday, most of them in the states of Iowa and Nebraska, 35 more tornadoes were counted on Saturday from northern Texas to Missouri, according to the US Weather Service (NWS).
In the town of Holdenville, Oklahoma, at least two people died, including a four-month-old infant, according to several American media outlets. Rubble removal operations continued Monday.
Significant damage was also recorded in the small town of Salver, more than 100 kilometers away. Pictures and videos posted on social media show dozens of homes completely destroyed and smashed vehicles.
In a Facebook post, the Murray County Sheriff’s Office urged people not to head to town.
Heavy rains were recorded in many areas, and weather warnings remained in effect, including a warning of the danger of flash floods, hail, and hurricanes.
Power was cut off to more than 50,000 homes in Texas late this morning and more than 30,000 homes in Oklahoma, according to the Power Outage website.
Tornadoes are a weather phenomenon that is difficult to predict and are relatively common in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country.