Easter weekend storms: Flooding, tornadoes lead to tragedy in Oklahoma and Texas; child among two killed

Two cars became stuck in floodwaters and one was washed under a bridge on Saturday night at approximately 9 pm local time, according to the Moore Police Department in Oklahoma. In a statement, police called the flooding a “historical weather event”, citing the numerous high-water incidents that occurred throughout the city.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims,” they added, thanking authorities for their assistance in the rescue attempts.

On Saturday night, severe storms brought hailstones, thunder, tornadoes, and plenty of rain to sections of the Oklahoma City metro area as well as north and central Texas.

In Ada, Oklahoma, buildings were damaged and trees were uprooted due to a suspected tornado.

In places like Tolar and Sterling City, Texas, storm chasers recorded footage of tornadoes. There were also confirmed reports about Tornadoes in the vicinity of Bowie and Hico, Texas.

Tornadoes cause severe power outages; 300 flights delayed

According to PowerOutage.us, there were about 19,000 power outages in the state as of early Sunday morning. According to Flightaware.com, over 300 planes were delayed leaving Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

“Towns hit hard by flooding and tornadoes in early April will be impacted yet again by flooding rainfall and severe weather through the holiday weekend,” Dan DePodwin, the Senior Director of Forecasting Operations of AccuWeather, said. “We expect travel, business, supply chain and shipping disruptions across the region.”

Also Read: Durant: Tornado sirens sound in Bryan County amid severe weather in Oklahoma

From Texas to Illinois: Storms, tornadoes pose risk on Easter

Thunderstorms and precipitation started in a 1,500-mile-long stretch from just west of Dallas to Syracuse, New York, at the start of Easter weekend. Thunderstorms in this area intensified to dangerous levels on Saturday night.

Widespread, strong thunderstorm activity is possible over a section of this zone as the weekend comes to a close.

“For Easter Sunday through Sunday night, the threat of severe weather will reach its peak from Arkansas through the Missouri Valley,” as per AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.