One Devastating Storm System: What to Know About the Havoc

Rain, snow, hail, dust, fire, tornadoes. A giant cross-country storm system last week led to one hazard after another, lashing California with an atmospheric river, fueling wildfires in Oklahoma and spawning tornadoes from Missouri to Alabama.

A part of Texas felt like Mars. Huge stretches of communities across the Midwest and South were reduced to rubble. A governor lost a farmhouse to fire. And the area near a tiny town in Mississippi was struck by a tornado twice.

It has all added up to a devastating mix. Since Friday, at least 36 deaths across seven states have been attributed to the storm.

Officials reported at least 36 deaths across seven states that have been attributed to severe weather in the South and Midwest.

Source: Official reports as of 2 p.m. Central time.

By Elena Shao and June Kim

Here are a few things to know about the storm system and its impact.

That number was reported by the Storm Prediction Center, though it may change. Overall, tornadoes and severe storms have killed at least 23 people across four states — Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi. Missouri has had the highest number of fatalities, 12.

Across the region, homes were leveled, with huge debris fields in their wake. In Poplar Bluff, Mo., in the southeastern corner of the state, more than 500 homes were destroyed. Alabama, where two people died, reported damage in 52 of the state’s 67 counties.

Locations of tornado sightings or damage reported since Friday morning.

Source: National Weather Service | Notes: Reports are considered preliminary. Data is for the 72 hours starting on March 14 at 8 a.m. Eastern, during which updates are made every 10 minutes.

By Julie Walton Shaver and John Keefe

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