Tornado watches and warnings persist Sunday night across several states, with Kentucky included. The storms are set to progress eastward, culminating on the East Coast by Monday.
Severe storms and tornadoes wreaked havoc across the South and the Great Plains during Memorial Day weekend, resulting in at least 19 reported deaths and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed eight storm-related deaths in Arkansas, while seven were reported in Cooke County, Texas. Additionally, two deaths occurred in Mayes County, Oklahoma, and two in Kentucky. One fatality in Louisville and another in Mercer County resulted from a tree falling on a house.
Among the victims in Arkansas was a person dependent on an oxygen concentrator, which ceased to function during the power outage. Other fatalities included a heart attack victim and someone killed by a falling tree or branch.
Residents in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee faced twisters, heavy winds, and flooding as the severe weather persisted from Saturday into Sunday. Tornado watches and warnings were issued across multiple states on Sunday night.
Power outages affected over 334,000 customers in Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kansas, according to poweroutage.us.
The Indianapolis 500’s 108th running was delayed by four hours due to severe weather concerns, with spectators evacuated and sheltered until lightning cleared the area. Similarly, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 faced a weather delay in Charlotte, North Carolina, prompting drivers to retreat to the pit area until the threat of lightning passed.