A look back: America endures 2 weeks under severe weather siege of over 600 Tornado Warnings
Late April and early May are square in the severe weather season, but this season has featured two weeks of relentless storms that have given scant breaks and instead have sent residents scrambling for shelter across the US.
Nation's heartland begins to recover after 2 weeks of relentless severe weather
Over 600 Tornado Warnings thousands of damage reports were issued since a stretch of severe weather began on April 27 and it's been nearly non stop since. We look back at the major storms of the last two weeks.
Late April and early May are smack dab in the middle of severe weather season.
Unfortunately, this season has brought two weeks of nonstop storms, which have left residents in the U.S. scrambling for shelter as more than 600 Tornado Warnings blared and twisters left trails of devastation across multiple states.
(FOX Weather)
Here is a look back at all the stormy days that plagued much of the nation's heartland over the past two weeks.
April 26
Homes decimated in Elkhorn, NE after monstrous, violent tornado
A tornado ripped through parts of Nebraska on Friday, causing widespread destruction in its wake. FOX Weather correspondent Nicole Valdes is on the ground in the Omaha suburb of Elkhorn, where the damage is catastrophic and the town is almost unrecognizable.
The first outbreak occurred on April 26 when strong tornadoes struck eastern Nebraska and into western Iowa, even crossing Interstate 80 at one point.
The Omaha suburb of Elkhorn was directly hit by the tornado, and several homes were destroyed. Garner Industries sustained severe damage, and a massive train derailed near Waverly. Omaha’s airport suffered significant damage to its general aviation buildings.
Damage at Omaha's Eppley Airfield after a tornado struck on April 26, 2024.
(Grove Regional Airport KGMJ / X / FOX Weather)
FOX Weather Storm Tracker Corey Gerken captured video of one of the powerful tornadoes crossing Interstate 80 outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. Multiple tornadoes around the area received EF-3 ratings, and three people were injured.
Watch: Tornado crosses Interstate 80 outside Lincoln, Nebraska
A supercell in eastern Nebraska produced a powerful tornado on Friday that crossed Interstate 80 and the event was captured on video.
The National Weather Service office in Omaha issued 48 Tornado Warnings, the most they have ever issued in a single day.
- CATASTROPHIC TORNADO DAMAGE REPORTED IN PLAINS AS ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF STORMS EXPECTED OVER WEEKEND
- TORNADO WITH 165 MPH WIND SUCKS BROTHERS FROM NEBRASKA HOME: 'I WAS JUST SCREAMING HIS NAME'
- OMAHA AIRPORT TAKES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM EF-2 TORNADO
- WORST TORNADO OUTBREAK OF 2024 SO FAR LEAVES 5 DEAD ACROSS 2 STATES
- ‘HOLD ON’: WATCH AS TRAIN IS CAUGHT IN PATH OF NEBRASKA EF-3 TORNADO
- 'I HELD ON TO THE DRYER': NEBRASKA TORNADO SURVIVOR SAYS SHE WAS BURIED ALIVE DURING STORM
- RAINBOW PROVIDES BREATHTAKING SIGHT IN ELKHORN AMID NEBRASKA'S TORNADO DESTRUCTION
- VIDEOS SHOW DESTRUCTIVE PATH OF TORNADIC SUPERCELL THROUGH NEBRASKA
Another tornado went on to cause significant damage in Minden, Iowa, where one person was killed while attempting to shelter from the storm.
'Houses are gone': Iowa residents view extensive tornado destruction firsthand in Minden
Massive tornadoes tore through a town in southwest Iowa on Friday, leaving extensive damage in their path. Over two dozen tornadoes were spotted, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Tornado Emergency Warning for the life-threatening weather event. FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell is in Minden, Iowa, with the latest.
The tornado caused significant damage to 180 homes in the town of 600 people, with nearly half of those homes considered destroyed, town officials said. Additionally, many businesses along Main Street were damaged.
- VIOLENT, WEDGE-SHAPED TORNADO SLAMS RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IOWA: ‘PRAYED EVERYTHING WOULD BE OK’
- IOWA MAN DIES AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN BASEMENT DURING MINDEN TORNADO
- IOWA TROOPER SURVIVES TORNADO IN CAR, PATCHES WINDOW AND CONTINUES HELPING VICTIMS
April 27
EF-3 tornado causes deadly destruction in Sulphur, Oklahoma
Most businesses in downtown Sulphur were completely destroyed by an EF-3 tornado on Saturday night during a severe weather outbreak. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell said the situation is dangerous because buildings continue to collapse two days after the tornado.
At least four people were killed and several others were injured Saturday when devastating tornadoes tore through several Oklahoma cities during a severe weather outbreak that caused catastrophic damage to numerous homes and buildings and knocked out power to tens of thousands of utility customers.
The hardest-hit town was Sulphur, which is known for its eclectic shops, artists, restaurants, murals and history. However, it was unrecognizable after the nocturnal tornado on April 27. While visiting Sulphur the day after the tornado, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he hadn't seen tornado damage this bad in his six years in office.
Drone video shows stretch of Sulphur, Oklahoma downtown after devastating tornado
First light tornado damage from Sulphur, Oklahoma was seen on April 28, 2024. Drone footage shows destroyed businesses and homes, as well as cars thrown and turned over from an intense tornado that passed through the town.
"I've seen a lot of damage. I've been around the state for this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable," he said.
In addition, an EF-4 tornado caused severe damage in Marietta, while another EF-3 tornado struck Holden.
- SULPHUR, OKLAHOMA, BUSINESS OWNERS COPE WITH CATASTROPHIC TORNADO DAMAGE
- DRONE VIDEO SHOWS SULPHUR, OKLAHOMA, NEARLY UNRECOGNIZABLE AFTER DIRECT HIT FROM TORNADO
- DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES TEAR ACROSS AMERICA’S HEARTLAND LEAVING 5 DEAD IN TWO STATES IN WORST OUTBREAK OF 2024
- OKLAHOMA TORNADO SURVIVOR CREDITS HER FAITH FOR SAVING LIFE AS ROOF ABOVE HER SUCKED AWAY
- RARE ‘BACKWARD-SPINNING’ TORNADO AMONG TWISTERS WREAKING HAVOC IN OKLAHOMA TUESDAY
- FAMILY'S 40 YEARS OF MEMORIES GONE BUT CHERISHED ROCKS REMAIN UNSCATHED AFTER OKLAHOMA TORNADO'S DESTRUCTION
- TEXAS POLICE OFFICER DIES FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN LAST SUNDAY'S TORNADO STRIKE
- TORNADO IN TRINITY, TEXAS, CAUSES INJURIES, DESTROYS HOME AS FLASH FLOODING STRANDS DRIVERS
April 30
Cleanup efforts underway after deadly tornado rips through Kansas community
At least one person was killed in the town of Westmoreland in Kansas on Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the community, and now cleanup efforts are underway after nearly two dozen homes were destroyed.
Severe storms lingered into the morning of April 28, and then the 29th featured the quietest day of the stretch, with just one tornado report amid 9 severe weather reports nationwide. The break was short-lived.
On April 30, an EF-3 tornado roared through the Kansas town of Westmoreland, with nearly two dozen homes destroyed and another 13 heavily damaged. The National Weather Service said the twister had winds up to 140 mph. One person was found dead in a mobile home.
KANSAS EF-3 TORNADO SURVIVOR SAYS SIRENS FAILED TO SOUND BEFORE DEADLY STORM STRUCK WESTMORELAND
May 2
Dramatic video shows storm chaser rescuing Texas family from tornado
Storm chaser Freddy McKinney was tracking severe storms in west-central Texas on Thursday when he encountered a family in need of help following a tornado.
Severe storms veered back into Texas on May 2 with an EF-3 tornado that damaged several homes in Hawley, Texas. The storm injured 4, including some of the Lambert family, whose home was torn apart by the twister. As the family of four sheltered inside, their young son was pulled from the home and tossed into a pile of debris.
But storm chaser Freddy McKinney was there moments after the tornado struck and scooped up the family and got them to a hospital.
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- STORM CHASER RESCUES FAMILY DURING LIVE COVERAGE OF TEXAS TORNADO
- AT LEAST 2 HURT AS TORNADOES REPORTED IN TEXAS, MISSOURI DURING THURSDAY’S ROUND OF SEVERE STORMS
May 4
Mandatory evacuations continue along swollen rivers in waterlogged East Texas
FOX Weather's Nicole Valdes says mandatory evacuations continue north of Houston as torrential rains dropped 5-8 inches in 12 hours and up to 18 inches in 5 days.
Attention turned from tornadoes to devastating flooding as torrential rains dumped 12-20 inches of rain in East Texas, overwhelming the San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers to levels not seen since Hurricane Harvey.
Several hundred homes were flooded — some up to the rooflines. A young boy was killed when he was swept away in rapid waters.
- FEET OF RAINFALL IN EAST TEXAS CAUSES RIVERS TO REACH HIGHEST LEVELS SINCE HURRICANE HARVEY
- TEXAS FLOODING TURNS DEADLY AS RIVERS COULD REMAIN SWOLLEN FOR DAYS
May 6
Aerial video shows devastation in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, after deadly tornado
Residents in communities across the central U.S. are once again sifting through the debris of destroyed homes and businesses after severe weather and tornadoes ripped across the region from Monday night into Tuesday morning, leaving at least one person dead and causing catastrophic damage in a city north of Tulsa in Oklahoma.
Tornadic storms roared back to life on May 6, kicking off three straight days of deadly tornadoes.
Oklahoma took the brunt of the storms on the 6th, with a devastating EF-4 tornado that destroyed several homes in Barnsdall and into Bartlesville with incredible winds estimated at 165-175 mph.
One person was killed, but officials credited ample warning time for the approaching storms in keeping the death toll from being far worse.
Bartlesville hotel guests caught up in deadly Oklahoma tornado
People inside a Hampton Inn in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, recorded the dramatic moments the hotel took a direct hit from a deadly tornado on Monday, May 6, 2024.
Still, there were several stories of harrowing survival from those who rode out the storm, including residents at a Bartlesville Hampton Inn as the tornado tore part of the hotel apart.
- 1 DEAD AFTER CATASTROPHIC EF-4 TORNADO LEVELS BARNSDALL, OKLAHOMA: 'TOTAL DESTRUCTION'
- TOWNS REELING ACROSS CENTRAL US AFTER ANOTHER ROUND OF DEADLY SEVERE WEATHER DECIMATES TOWNS
- FAMILY ESCAPES HOME MINUTES BEFORE OKLAHOMA TORNADO WIPED IT OUT: 'WE WERE TERRIFIED'
- HAMPTON INN GUESTS TAKE TORNADO STRIKE IN BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA: ‘I WAS JUST STARING INTO OPEN SKY’
- WATCH AS GUESTS RUN FOR COVER WHILE TORNADO STRIKES OKLAHOMA HAMPTON INN
May 7
Aerial video shows tornado damage to mobile home park in Portage, Michigan
Aerial video showed several mobile homes sustained significant damage during a tornado-warned storm as it moved through Portage, Michigan, on Tuesday.
On May 7, the storms moved east into the Great Lakes, and 15 tornadoes were reported in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
(FOX Weather)
An EF-2 tornado caused significant damage to homes and businesses in Portage, Michigan, including a FedEx facility. The sheriff's office said that at least 176 homes were damaged inside the Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Park in Kalamazoo, and between 16 and 20 injuries were reported across the county.
Looking back at an intense week of severe storms across the nation's heartland
There have been 70 confirmed tornadoes since Monday and four people lost their lives as severe storms tore across several states this week.
All those who were injured were taken to local hospitals, and none of the injuries were significant.
- SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE REPORTED IN MICHIGAN AS SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES SWEEP ACROSS MIDWEST, OHIO VALLEY
- SURVIVORS OF PORTAGE TORNADO RECOUNT PANIC, FEAR DURING TWISTER THAT DEVASTATED MICHIGAN CITY
In Missouri, a tornado took out part of a pub but somehow managed to leave some of the bottles still standing.
Watch: Missouri pub heavily damaged after EF-1 tornado in Franklin County
Video recorded in Franklin County, Missouri, shows a pub that was heavily damaged by an EF-1 tornado in the town of Sullivan.
TORNADO DESTROYS BELOVED MISSOURI PUB BUT LEAVES SOME BOTTLES STANDING
May 8
3 dead from severe storms, tornadoes in Tennessee, North Carolina
The nation's deadly severe weather outbreak continued Wednesday with severe storms from the Carolinas to the Midwest, with fatalities reported in two states.
On May 8, the storms unleashed their wrath on the Tennessee Valley into the Carolinas. Fatalities were reported in two states as severe storms caused over 900 miles of damage, resulting in 13 reports of tornadoes.
The storms appeared to impact the country in clusters, with Tennessee, southern Illinois and northern Alabama being the hardest hit by tornadoes. There were also hundreds of hail and damaging wind reports in nearby states.
South of Nashville, in Maury County, Tennessee, a tornado removed two homes from their foundations in Columbia, according to officials. Tragically, a woman who lived in one of those homes was found dead in a nearby wooded area. Following the storm, emergency responders in the county rescued at least 12 people trapped under debris or stranded in wooded areas.
May 10
Watch: Heavy rain, wind and lightning move through Tallahassee, FL on Friday morning amid Tornado Warning
A squall line swept across Alabama into Georgia and the Florida Panhandle early Friday morning, triggering a variety of severe weather warnings.
The severe weather streak finally ended as the last line of thunderstorms rolled across the South the night of May 9, reaching the Florida Panhandle on the morning of May 10. But nature had one more parting shot, blasting Tallahassee with wind gusts over 80 mph and potentially spawning multiple tornadoes. One person was killed, and storm debris littered the town.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, at least four tornadoes were confirmed on radar in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday morning, while thunderstorms produced gusts as high as 84 mph.
(FOX Weather)
"The reports that I'm receiving is that we had wind gusts between 80 and 100 mph ... that's hurricane strength," Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey told FOX Weather. "It was a significant storm that came through, and what is concerning is we haven't even gotten into the storm season, per se."
Overall, there were more than 300 reports of tornadoes and over 2,000 spotter reports of severe weather or damage.
However, long-range forecasts show a shift in the pattern that will thankfully bring a well-earned break in widespread severe weather outbreaks.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center isn’t highlighting any area of heightened severe weather concern over at least the next 8 days.