One of the most active tornado seasons in history continues to terrorize parts of the U.S. More than 300 confirmed twisters have touched down since the beginning of the year, killing 68 people. That’s just two fewer victims than the average for an entire year.
Forecasters predict it’s not over yet as a line of storms is now stretching from the deep South to western New York, leaving 30 million Americans on alert.
The deadly, massive storm system that’s currently plowing through the nation’s midsection is the third in just the past two weeks. This most recent wave has already spawned 14 reported tornados in a 36-hour time period, including in Iowa, Illinois, and other states.
Meteorologists say an EF2 twister with wind gusts up to 130 miles per hour touched down in southeastern Missouri Wednesday morning, just before sunrise, killing at least five people.
The storm damaged dozens of buildings and wiped out at least 12.
Glen Allen, Missouri resident Keith Lincoln said, “And you could hear everything just banging on the house. You could hear trees popping and everything, so it was very scary.”
Lincoln and his wife huddled in their bathtub before the tornado tore apart their home.
He recalls their desperate prayers in that moment. “Thanking my good Lord, ‘Please help us.’ My wife is praying, ‘Save us. Save the house,’ everything like that. And basically, He did,” Lincoln said.
The National Weather Service reports the twister apparently stayed on the ground for 15 minutes, carving a 20-mile path.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson toured the destruction. “It’s going to be weeks upon months to be able to recover. It’s a long journey ahead for the people that live here,” he said.
In Kentucky, the mayor of Louisville says a tornado took the life of at least one person overnight.
Reports came in of extensive damage, including one home split in two by a toppled tree. Kentucky resident Judy Witt said, “We did not hear that tree fall, never did.”
Meanwhile, in tornado-ravaged Wynne, Arkansas, CBN’s Operation Blessing is providing hot meals.
#OperationBlessing is on the ground in Wynne, Arkansas at Tabernacle Faith Church where we set up our operations after a deadly tornado ravaged the town. We’re at ground zero right now. Thankfully, we come bringing food—and hope. https://t.co/PSMwIeGIjn
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) April 6, 2023
Operation Blessing Deployment Manager Kevin Walker said, “We’re at ground zero right now, and everywhere you look around us, you can see the devastation. And this is an impoverished community that we’re ministering to here, and we’re set up to feed those that are in need, not only the residents here. We’ve been feeding the volunteers; we’ve been feeding the workers, and it’s been such a blessing to see that hope is being restored.”
Meanwhile, the strong storm system is moving east and is expected to bring severe weather to parts of the mid-Atlantic and northeast on Thursday.