At least one person was killed after a very powerful tornado struck northern Texas on Saturday night, as extreme weather continued to devastate homes and put millions across the south and midwestern US at risk, with wildfires also raging on in parts of Georgia.
Officials from Wise county in Texas said the storm reached the area at around 10pm and caused significant damage across multiple neighborhoods. In addition to the confirmed death, six people were treated or transported by emergency responders to be treated for storm-related injuries.
“This morning, we can confirm one fatality, and our collective prayers go to that family during this incredibly difficult time,” Wise county judge JD Clark said in a Sunday morning press briefing.
At least 20 families have been displaced, and many homes sustained major damage, according to initial reports.
The National Weather Service has reported that severe weather is likely to continue over the coming days, and that flash flooding is possible.
Storms have battered the central US over the past week, with more than 30 tornadoes and over 230 reports of hail, according to AccuWeather.
At least 10 people were injured after a massive tornado struck northern Oklahoma on Thursday night. Approximately 40 homes were damaged, and light damage was reported at a nearby air force base. Though injuries were reported, there were no confirmed fatalities. Videos shared online revealed the unbelievable strength of the twister, as debris was sucked up into the rapidly rotating column of air.
Mere days after being ravaged by the twisters, residents across the plains are bracing for more even more severe weather.
“People in towns from Oklahoma to Kansas and northwestern Missouri should prepare for storms capable of producing tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts over 70mph,” Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, said in a statement.
“Tornadoes that strike after dark or are wrapped in rain are especially dangerous because they can be nearly impossible to see. Everyone in the region should be ready to act quickly and have multiple ways to receive warnings and alerts that can wake you overnight.”
In south-east Georgia, two massive wildfires had burnt more than 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) and decimated 120 homes by Sunday morning after raging for days amid drought conditions in the region.
One, labeled the Highway 82 fire, has been burning since 20 April and has destroyed at least 87 homes. Brian Kemp, the Georgia governor, confirmed that the fire was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. As of Sunday afternoon, the fire had grown to 20,933 acres, and was only 7% contained.
“We’ve got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the United States within just a very small area that we’re having to fight, so as you can imagine, it’s a lot for us to have to deal with,” Kemp said during a Friday news conference.
According to the Georgia forestry commission, the Highway 82 fire has caused the most significant home loss that the state has ever experienced from a single wildfire.
The second fire, referred to as the Pineland Road fire, started over the weekend on mostly private forest land near the state line that divides Georgia from Florida to the south. That blaze began after someone was welding their gate, according to the governor, and sparks flew and undergrowth caught alight. The Pineland Road fire has burned through 31,976 acres and was 10% contained as of Saturday, according to the Georgia forestry commission.
Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.
Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, the climate crisis and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.