Residents survey the aftermath of deadly weekend storms across the southern U.S.

Residents in large swaths of the southern U.S. on Sunday took stock of the devastation left in the wake of tornadoes, strong winds and dust storms over the weekend.

The severe weather left at least 37 people dead, and destroyed scores of homes.

This bout of storms was forecast to clear the East Coast by Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.

In Missouri, where 12 people died, first responders and road crews worked to clear debris, restore power to homes, and distribute recovery supplies.

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office said Sunday that hundreds of homes, schools and businesses were destroyed of severely damaged, with some burned from wildfires aggravated by high winds.

“The scale of devastation across our state is staggering,” Gov. Kehoe said. “While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action.”

In Butler County, a man was killed after a tornado ripped through his home. Coroner Jim Akers told the AP that the twister left his home “unrecognizable” with “just a debris field.”

Hurricane force winds in Oklahoma, fueled deadly wildfires and dust storms. Residents there spent Saturday surveying fire damage, after more than 170,000 acres burned.

By Sunday afternoon, an early assessment from local officials identified more than 400 homes damaged statewide. Four people died and 142 others were injured due to the fires and winds, officials said.

Cheryl Rabet of Stillwater lost her home in the blazes, as well as two RVs she rented out, reported KOSU’s Lionel Ramos.

“We didn’t have a chance to grab anything,” she said, including their 16-year-old cat Momo. “We grabbed one of our cats and that was about it.”

The Red Cross and other relief efforts have been providing food and other resources for shelters across parts of Oklahoma and other affected regions.

Brady Moore, Stillwater city manager, warned that it may still be unsafe for residents to return to neighborhoods in the path of destruction, while crews work to repair downed powerlines and shut off water and gas lines.

Damage assessments in the majority of Alabama counties continued on Sunday, said Gov. Kay Ivey. Three people died in the state, she said.

In Troy, Ala., where a tornado flipped an 18-wheeler truck, about 200 people took shelter at a recreation center, reported local CBS station WAKA News.

“Right as the last people got in, the storm passed over, blowing out windows in cars in the parking lot, and tearing off part of the gymnasium roof,” said Dan Smith, the director of the city’s parks and recreation department. “Our sports complex, including the baseball and softball park, also suffered major damage. But we’re very fortunate—it could’ve been a lot worse.”

There were no injuries.

In Texas on Sunday, fire crews were battling a 9,500-acres blaze in Fredericksburg, in central Texas. The grass fire was more than half contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Across the state, more than 42,000 acres were burning from 36 fires on Sunday night, the service said.

The threat of fires was expected to continue into the week, with a red flag warning – signaling a high risk of wildfire conditions — was expected to be reinstated for South Central Texas on Monday, as Texas Public Radio reported.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that the state was granted federal assistance to help fight the fires.

“Texas is working around the clock to provide all necessary resources to local officials fighting wildfires in Gray and Gillespie counties,” he said.

 

Measles remains a danger to health even years after an infection

The measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico is now close to 300 cases. Most are unvaccinated children. People usually recover, but doctors are stressing how dangerous and long-lasting it can be.

Researchers are rushing to build AI-powered robots. But will they work?

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the virtual world. But reality bytes.

Peruvian farmer goes head to head with German energy giant in climate test case

A Peruvian farmer is going head to head with German energy giant in a climate law test case.

How Alabama students went from last place to rising stars in math

Alabama is the only state where 4th-grade math scores are higher now than they were in 2019, before the pandemic. This is the story of how the state pulled it off.

A Tesla protester targeted by Elon Musk speaks out: ‘I have to protect myself.’

"When one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful person in the world is saying you've committed a crime, it doesn't matter what the truth is," said Valerie Costa, an anti-Tesla protester.

Why are the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks stuck? An explainer on the latest

Arab mediators are working to reach a new Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal that would secure the release of 12 living hostages out of the 24 still believed to be held alive by Hamas in Gaza.

More Front Page Coverage