Over 300,000 people in central US left without power (2024)

There are power outages in five states following severe storms in the central US over Memorial Day weekend, according to poweroutage.us.

Here's where customers are experiencing outages as of just after 10 a.m. ET Sunday:

One storm chaser documented the wreckage of a campground in Claremore, Oklahoma, devastated by a likely tornado over the weekend.

The campground was full of Memorial Day vacationers when the storm struck, the photographer, Brian Emfinger, told CNN. "The tornado just went right through it," he said.

When he arrived to the "horrible scene," there were a "tremendous" amount of search-and-rescue workers on site, he said. Some people took shelter in a nearby structure, he said.

"I did see multiple search-and-rescues where people were just trapped in their campers and RVs," he said. "There were some that were destroyed, some that were tipped over."

Watch some of Emfinger's video below:

At least one person is dead after suspected tornadoes hit northwest Arkansas overnight, and emergency medical services have received more than 20 additional calls, according to officials.

The person who died was in eastern Benton County, according to the county's administrator of public safety, Robert T. McGowen.

Barry Moehring, county judge, said at a news conference that several people have been hurt.

According to Bentonville Mayor Stephanie Orman, crews are working to respond to power outages and emergency medical calls.

“We have crews mobilized throughout the city. We have power lines down — about 10,000 probably out with power. We've got trees across roads. We're really encouraging individuals to stay off the roads as we try to clean up those road systems. We also have signals down,” Orman said.

Bentonville Fire Chief Justin Scantlin said crews were responding to emergencies throughout the night, andare now methodically searching street-by-street to check on people.

CNN’s Travis Nichols contributed to this report.

At least five people, including children, are dead after a possible tornado struck Texas overnight, as severe storms caused power outages and forced residents to shelter in place across the central United States on Memorial Day weekend.

The five fatalities were reported in Cooke County, Texas, and three occurred in one household, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told CNN on Sunday morning. Two children in the area were reported missing and are still unaccounted for as of Sunday morning.

More than 110 million people across broad swaths of the US are under threat of large hail, damaging winds and fiercetwistersSunday, mainly throughout the mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee River valleys.

Inside a Shell gas station, 60 to 80 people were trapped until the storm blew over, Sappington said. Multiple injuries were reported at the station, but none were life-threatening, he added.

Many vehicles were damaged and destroyed, leaving about 40 people stranded. They were transported by bus to another gas station in Gainesville, where they were picked up by family members.

Damage elsewhere: In north Denton County, Texas, a possible tornado injured an unknown number of people, damaged several homes, overturned 18-wheelers, downed trees and knocked out power lines on Saturday night, authorities said early Sunday.

Damage to several homes was also reported in the neighboring city of Celina.

Across state lines, officials said a possible tornado swept through Rogers County, Oklahoma, downing power lines and trees and damaging homes. In the city of Claremore, officials said there was “a lot of damage” and electricity will be out for much of the city “for an extended period of time.”

Dangerous storms and searing heat willcontinue affecting vast portions of the United States this Memorial Day weekend and could disrupt outdoor plans and travel.

A near-record number of people will travel this weekend in what could be the busiest period in nearly two decades, according to AAA.

Travelers will have to contend with a hazardous and disruptive multi-day severe thunderstorm event with damaging winds, dangerous hail and strong tornadoes. It is expected to unfold this weekend in portions of the central, southern and eastern US.

Severe weather has been unrelenting in May, but hit an even morefrenetic pacethis week. Nearly 850 wind damage reports and at least 80 tornado reports have occurred across the US since Sunday.

While severe storms pound inland areas this weekend, some coastal areas will face a different threat. A heaping serving of summerlike heat is on the menu as many head to the beach to celebrate the unofficial start of summer.

It’s already been record hot in parts of the South this month, especially in South Texas andSouth Florida, the type of extreme heat made more likely by human-caused climate change.

Record heat will expand over the weekend and jeopardize daily high temperature records in jeopardy from Texas through the Southeast as air temperatures soar well into the 90s.

Where to expect the heat: Houston, New Orleans, Miami, Mobile, Alabama, Tampa, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina, are just a few cities along the Gulf and southeast Atlantic coasts where it’ll feel more like July than late May through Memorial Day.