May 26, 2024 Memorial weekend storms | CNN

May 26, 2024 Memorial weekend storms

storm damage aerials
See dramatic aerials of severe weather damage in Texas
01:09 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

  • At least 18 people, including four children, are dead in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky after suspected tornadoes struck the central United States.
  • Just under 109 million people nationwide were under threat of large hail, damaging winds and fierce twisters Sunday, mainly throughout the mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee River valleys.
  • As the storms move east, the Storm Prediction Center warned of “violent tornadoes, extreme hail and corridors of widespread wind damage.” The extreme weather has caused power outages and forced people to take shelter.
  • The storms — and searing heat in some areas — could impact events throughout Memorial Day weekend. The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed due to concerns about lightning, and NBC briefly lost signal during its pre-race broadcast.
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Our live coverage of the deadly severe weather disrupting the Memorial Day weekend has moved here.

Severe weather threat to continue through Memorial Day — with tornadoes, hail and strong winds expected

A race fan makes a phone call while trying to stay dry during a weather advisory before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 26.

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.

More than 642,000 customers are without power in 13 states because of severe weather

Destroyed homes are seen after a deadly tornado rolled through Valley View, Texas on May 26.

Deadly storms and tornadoes have left hundreds of thousands of customers across 13 states without power late Sunday night.

There are currently more than 642,000 customers in the dark, according to poweroutage.us.

The bulk of the power outages are in Kentucky, where there are nearly 135,000 customers without power.

States experiencing power outages:

  • Texas: 14,048 customers without power
  • Kansas: 9,456 customers without power
  • Missouri: 86,858 customers without power
  • Arkansas: 67,967 customers without power
  • Tennessee: 10,930 customers without power
  • Kentucky: 135,826 customers without power
  • Ohio: 11,452 customers without power
  • West Virginia: 91,321customers without power
  • Virginia: 90,335 customers without power
  • Pennsylvania: 40,817 customers without power
  • Indiana: 40,817 customers without power
  • Illinois: 49,418 customers without power
  • North Carolina: 14,081 customers without power

President Biden sends condolences for storm victims

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 14.

In a statement Sunday, 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.

“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.

St. Louis Cardinals game estimated to begin at 9:40 p.m. — if weather permits 

Busch Stadium in St. Louis is seen during a weather delay on May 26.

After an almost two-hour delay due to severe storms in the St. Louis area, the Cardinals game against the Chicago Cubs is estimated to begin at 9:40 p.m. local time Sunday if the weather permits, the team announced.

First pitch was scheduled for 7:10 p.m., but the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for St. Louis and areas south of the city.

Video on social media appeared to show stairwells and the outfield grass flooded at Busch Stadium, where the game is supposed to be played. 

This post has been updated.

Arkansas death toll rises to 8 people

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 were at least five deaths in 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

New tornado watch issued for parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky until 1 a.m. CDT

A new tornado watch has been issued by the Storm Prediction Center for more than 3 million people living in parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, including Louisville, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana.

The watch is in effect until 1 a.m. CDT Monday.

“Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings,” the prediction center said.

Several tornadoes are possible, along with hail bigger than the size of baseballs and widespread wind gusts reaching up to 85 mph.

This latest watch brings the number of Americans under tornado watches to 6.6 million.

National Weather Service finds tornado that struck Valley View, Texas, was at least EF-2

Damage is seen at a truck stop the morning after a tornado on May 26 in Valley View, Texas.

After conducting storm surveys from the tornadoes that struck northern Texas Saturday night, the National Weather Service said initial findings indicate a tornado of at least EF-2 strength struck the city of Valley View.

“Extensive damage was found in Cooke County, primarily south of Valley View near the Cooke/Denton County line, with a preliminary rating of EF-2 with estimated maximum winds of 135 mph,” the weather service said.

Additionally, the survey team said, “Damage found in south Montague County was consistent with an EF-2 tornado with estimated maximum winds of 125 mph.” This tornado was just south of Forestburg, Texas.

Additional details about damage and path length for both tornadoes will be released as the surveys are complete.

Surveys are still ongoing near Pilot Point in Denton County, Celina in Collin County and other areas in north Texas.

“Rating information for the damage in these areas will be released when teams complete their assessments. Complete details including track, length, width and final ratings are expected to be finalized over the next several days,” the weather service said.

Tornado confirmed by radar in St. Louis metro area

A tornado was confirmed by radar in the area of St. Louis, Missouri, and in suburbs south of the city.

A tornado warning had also been issued for the area by the National Weather Service, which advised residents to take cover.

The impacts of this tornado could include flying debris, destruction to mobile homes and severe damage to trees, roofs and vehicles.

Rare "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watch issued for several states until 11 p.m. CDT

A rare “particularly dangerous situation” tornado watch is in effect across several states, warning “several tornadoes and few intense likely.”

The heightened tornado watch covers parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, including cities like St. Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri, Paducah, Kentucky, and Carbondale, Illinois. 

This tornado watch is only issued when there’s unusually high confidence in the potential of multiple at least EF2-strength and long-lived tornadoes in the area, according to the National Weather Service.

And nocturnal tornadoes are often more deadly because it is harder to get warning messages out while people are asleep.

This tornado watch includes about 4.7 million people, bringing the total number of Americans under tornado watches Sunday evening to more than 7 million.

The supercell thunderstorms firing up in the watch area will also be capable of large hail –bigger than the size of baseballs – and damaging wind gusts reaching up to 75 mph.

“Intense supercell thunderstorms will continue to develop across the watch area through this evening. Several tornadoes are likely, some of which are expected to be intense. Very large hail is also likely, along with the risk for potentially significant damaging wind gusts,” the Storm Prediction Center said.  

Final round of search and rescue operations underway in storm-ravaged Texas county

A final round of search and rescue operations are underway in storm-damaged Cooke County, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday.

“We are making one last round of searches to make sure there is no one missing,” the governor said.

Aid and support has been supplied to those who need immediate assistance by volunteer organizations in the region.

Officials will be working to make damage assessments and are asking residents to report any damage to damage.tdem.texas.gov.

Authorities will soon begin the process of removing debris before they reach the rebuilding stage, Abbott said.

St. Louis Cardinals game delayed due to storms

Members of the Busch Stadium grounds crew place a tarp over the field ahead of the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs on May 26 in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Cardinals game against the Chicago Cubs has been delayed due to severe weather, the team announced on Sunday.

The team added they “will provide updates as they become available.” 

The first pitch was scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Over a third of all Texas counties are now under disaster declaration

Vehicles in a body shop are seen amid debris the morning after a tornado rolled through on May 26 in Valley View, Texas.

More than a third of all Texas counties are under a disaster declaration after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a declaration for four additional counties on Sunday.

The new declaration affects Denton, Collin, Cooke and Montague counties, bringing the total to 106 counties in the state.

The storms have claimed the lives of seven people in the state, including four children, and at least 100 people have been injured, Abbott said.

Nearly 500,000 customers without power in 9 states due to severe weather

Deadly storms and likely tornadoes striking the central US have left hundreds of thousands of customers without power in at least nine states as of early Sunday evening.

At around 5:45 p.m. ET, nearly half a million customers were in the dark, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us:

  • Kentucky: 192,150 customers without power
  • Arkansas: 76,555 customers without power
  • Missouri: 74,987 customers without power
  • West Virginia: 40,932 customers without power
  • Texas: 34,726 customers without power
  • Ohio: 22,379 customers without power
  • Virginia: 17,342 customers without power
  • Kansas: 13,967 customers without power
  • Michigan: 10,986 customers without power

New tornado watch issued for 1.5 million people in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma

A new tornado watch has been issued for 1.5 million people living in parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The watch lasts until 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET) and includes the cities of Springfield, Branson, and Joplin in Missouri, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, among others.

Supercell thunderstorms are starting to fire up and could be capable of producing a couple tornadoes, scattered large hail up to the size of tennis balls, and damaging wind gusts moving up to 70 mph, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The new watch brings the total number of Americans under tornado watches to 3.6 million. 

At least 1 person killed in severe weather in Louisville, Kentucky

One person is dead in Kentucky after ferocious storms struck the central US over the weekend, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.

In a post on X, Greenberg said that he was “sad to report we’ve had one fatality following the severe weather that just moved through the area and some structural damage reported.”

“Please join me in holding this family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time — may their memory be a blessing,” the mayor wrote.

Rising death toll: The Louisville death brings the national death toll up to at least 15 storm-related deaths during the severe weather Saturday into Sunday, with deaths also coming in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

At least 5 people have died from the storms in Arkansas, public safety official says

Storm damage is seen at a shopping center in Rogers, Arkansas, on May 26.

The death toll from severe weather that swept through Arkansas is now at least five, according to local officials. 

Arkansas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Cindy Murphy told CNN about an additional storm-related death that occurred in Boone County.

Previously, officials had confirmed four deaths due to the severe weather overnight Saturday into Sunday.

According to Arkansas officials:

  • Two people died in Marion County
  • One person in Baxter County
  • One in Benton County
  • One in Boone County 

Murphy said 11 counties in Arkansas saw impacts from the storms, which hit the northern part of the state. 

Rising death toll: The additional death reported in Arkansas bring this weekend’s storm-related death toll to at least 14 people across three states.

Officials say seven were killed in Texas, including four children, and two people were killed in Oklahoma.

Weather service now gives Oklahoma tornado a more powerful classification

Survey teams from the National Weather Service found more severe damage in Claremore, Oklahoma, indicating the tornado there was at least a category EF3.

EF3 tornadoes pack winds of 136 to 165 mph. The damage was found north of Highway 20, east of the city.

The rating is still preliminary. Additional damage details and path length will be released once the surveys are complete.

4 people dead due to storms in Arkansas, according to officials

Glass and debris are seen at OZ Smokehouse in Rogers, Arkansas, on May 26. A tornado the previous night caused extensive damage to the downtown area.

The severe weather sweeping through the central United States has now killed at least four people in Arkansas.

Two people died in a storm that tracked through Marion County early Sunday, Sheriff Gregg Alexander said in a news release. The victims’ identities have yet to be released, pending the notification of family members.

Another person died in Baxter County, located about 25 miles to the east, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office there.

Earlier today, an official reported one storm-related death in Benton County, near Arkansas’ border with Oklahoma.

Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a state of emergency Sunday afternoon in response to the deadly storms.

Rising death toll: The three additional deaths in Arkansas bring this weekend’s storm-related death toll up to at least 13 people across three states.

Officials say seven were killed in Texas, including four children, and two people were killed in Oklahoma.

Almost half a million people are without power in central US

Storm damage in Sikeston, Missouri, where officials say they are working to restore power after severe weather downed power lines overnight.

The deadly storms that struck parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas overnight Saturday into Sunday are now causing mass power outages as they make their way east.

Around 2:40 p.m. ET, 477,748 customers were without power across seven states, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us:

  • Kentucky: 206,259 customers without power
  • Arkansas: 87,690 customers without power
  • Missouri: 83,344 customers without power
  • Texas: 48,043 customers without power
  • Tennessee: 24,257 customers without power
  • Kansas: 15,974 customers without power
  • Indiana: 12,181 customers without power