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Traffic flips as floodwaters cover Kingfisher's 13th Street, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. (Billy Hefton / Enid News & Eagle via AP)
ST. LOUIS – A powerful band of storms swept through more than 30 tornadoes across the central United States, damaged homes in Oklahoma, demolished a tribune on a motor racing circuit in Missouri and drowned states saturated with more water. water and flood.
Bad weather began Monday night in the Southern Plains and shifted to the northeast. Missouri and parts of Illinois and Arkansas were in the line of fire on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the storm will move into the Great Lakes region, where it will weaken. According to the National Weather Service, another storm system was preparing later this week, potentially covering an area from Texas to Chicago.
Patrick Marsh, coordinating meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said eyewitnesses reported 26 tornadoes on Monday and six more on Tuesday. One, near Tulsa, had a width of 1.61 kilometers and winds ranging from 179 to 159 km / h to 217 km / h.
"This is certainly not something to mess with," said Marsh.
A tornado Tuesday morning near the Tulsa International Airport hurt a person and a dozen homes. The airport was unscathed, but passengers were transferred to shelters for about 30 minutes and several flights were delayed.
Tulsa District Emergency Management spokeswoman Kim MacLeod said the crews rescued a man who had been trapped under a tree. In Arkansas, crews were working Tuesday afternoon to free a woman stuck under a tree topped with high winds. The spokesperson for the Arkansas Emergency Management Department, Melody Daniel, said the woman was alert and was talking.
Thunderstorms injured seven people Monday night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Hickory County, Missouri, four of which were taken to the hospital. The speedway grandstand was also destroyed, resulting in the cancellation of the race this weekend which should attract about 3,000 campers.
Another twister Tuesday afternoon hit a hit a wild animal park in southern Missouri. Webster County Emergency Management Director, Tom Simmons, said that buildings had been damaged during the Wildlife Safari near Strafford, but there were no reports of injured or injured people. d & # 39; animals.
Simmons said half a dozen homes had been damaged in the county. A semi-trailer truck was washed away by a road.
Floods were also a problem. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation closed Interstate 40 in El Reno, about 40 km west of Oklahoma City, due to high water. The National Meteorological Service announced that it had rained up to 13 inches of rain since Monday. In El Reno and Stillwater, where Oklahoma State University is located, approximately 88 kilometers northeast of Oklahoma City, rescue teams have rescued people from their home.
In Missouri, Governor Mike Parson said the state of emergency, evoking worsening concerns about floods and flooding soils, as well as predictions announcing violent storms and possible tornadoes on Wednesday morning. Parson cited many cases of flash flood.
"The very heavy rains of yesterday and today, combined with saturated soil and very high water levels on many rivers and streams, have created dangerous conditions around the world. the state, "said Parson, a Republican, in a statement.
With a potentially dangerous storm in St. Louis, the baseball Cardinals were in no danger, canceling a match Tuesday night against rivals Kansas City Royals. Forecasters warned that heavy storms could arrive in downtown St. Louis shortly after the scheduled start of the game.
The melting of the northern snows and major spring rains have caused waves of flooding in Missouri, and President Donald Trump on Monday issued a major disaster statement for 13 state counties damaged by floods Of March.
The Missouri River is expected to reach a major flood level by the end of the week in Jefferson City, Hermann, St. Charles and elsewhere. The dyke near Jefferson City Airport holds water up to 9.14 meters, said Bill Farr, Cole County Emergency Officer, but the National Weather Service is planning a summit of 32.8 feet (9.85 meters) Thursday. Sandbags will not help because the lift is too long, he said.
"We are just crossing our fingers," said Farr.
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Miller reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press rep Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri; Hannah Grabenstein in Little Rock, Ark .; and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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