2024 — May 25-26, storms and tornadoes, TX (7), OK (2), AR (8), KY (5), VA (1)        –22-23

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-27-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–22-23  Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below. We note two sources that note “at least

22 deaths,” though it does not appear that the AP source includes the VA death and it does

not appear that the NYT source includes the 5^th KY deaths (heart attack of a man cutting

fallen trees).

–22  AP. “At least 22 dead in Memorial Day weekend storms that devastated…” 5-28-2024.

–22  New York Times. “Storms Snarl Memorial Day Travel After at Least 22 Killed.” 5-27-2024.

–21  Axios. “Deadly tornado outbreak kills at least 21 as severe storms target East Coast. 5-27-2024.

–19  NBC News. “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024.

–15  USA Today. “‘Dangerous out there’: 15 dead as tornadoes slam Texas, Okla., Ark., Ky.” 5-26-2024.

Arkansas        (8)

–8  Arkansas Advocate. “Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans.” 5-26-2024. (Cites state officials.)

–8  Fox Weather. “At least 8 dead in Arkansas as tornado outbreak carves paths…” 5-27-2024.

–8  NBC News. “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024.

–5  USA Today. “…15 dead as tornadoes slam Texas, Okla., Ark., Ky.” 5-26-2024. [Cites AP.]

Breakout of Arkansas severe weather deaths by county:

–1  Baxter County. Fox Weather. “At least 8 dead in Arkansas as tornado outbreak…” 5-27-2024.

–3  Benton County. Arkansas Advocate. “Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans.” 5-26-2024

            –1  COPD user “who did not have oxygen when the power went out.”

–1  Boone Co., Olvey, NBC News. “Deadly storms sweep through South…” 5-26-2024 update.

–3  Marion County. Arkansas Advocate. “Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans.” 5-26-2024

Kentucky        (5)

–5  AP. “At least 22 dead in Memorial Day weekend storms that devastated…” Fox5. 5-28-2024

–4  Axios. “Deadly tornado outbreak kills at least 21 as severe storms target East Coast.” 5-27-2024.

–1  Caldwell County. Male; heart attack while cutting fallen trees.[1]

–1  Louisville. NBC News. “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024.

–1  Hardin County. Female, 62. Wave3.com. “4 dead from severe storms in Kentucky…” 5-27-2024.

–1  Hopkins County. Female, 48. Wave3.com. “4 dead from severe storms in Kentucky…” 5-27-2024.

–1  Mercer County. Female, 67.[2] Tree fell on a house. NBC News. “At least 19 dead…” 5-27-2024.

Oklahoma      (2)

–2  NBC News. “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024.

–2  Mayes County. Females. The Oklahoman. “Two killed during Saturday storms…” 5-26-2024.

Texas               (7)

–7  Cooke County near Valley View tornado (Sheriff Sappington). Fox Weather. “Children…”

            –2  2 and 5-year old children (the two children were siblings according to the Sheriff.)[3]

            –3  Mother, two children. NBCDFW. “Mother…two children killed …tornado drags mobile home.”

                        –1  Laura Esparza (mother).

                        –1  Miranda, 15 (daughter)

                        –1  Marco, 9 (son). (The three were sheltering on bathroom floor.)

Virginia          (1)

–1  Thunderstorm. NYT. “Storms Snarl Memorial Day Travel After at Least 22 Killed.” 5-27-2024.

–1  Wingina area, Nelson Co., May 26. Thunderstorm; tree limb falls onto vehicle victim sheltering in.[4]

Narrative Information

 May 26, USA Today: “Powerful storms and tornadoes sweeping across the nation’s midsection Sunday killed at least 15 people in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky, injuring scores, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the region and delaying the start of the iconic Indianapolis 500.

“In Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said at least seven people died − four of them children − when an apparent tornado ripped through a neighborhood near Valley View, 60 miles north of Dallas near the Oklahoma border. “Many” people were injured early Sunday when the storm struck a nearby travel center and gas station complex where more than 60 residents had sought shelter, he said. Sappington said search and rescue efforts were complicated by downed trees and power lines that blocked access to roads….

“At least five people died in Arkansas, the Associated Press reported. Video and photos posted on social media showed homes destroyed in Decatur, Arkansas….” (USA Today. “‘Dangerous out there’: 15 dead as tornadoes slam Texas, Okla., Ark., Ky. Live updates.” 5-26-2024.)

May 26, NBC News: “Seven people died in Texas, two in Oklahoma and two more in Arkansas overnight after violent storms and tornadoes swept through the region, overturning trucks, smashing homes and trapping dozens in a collapsed gas station.

“Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said seven people died in the Texas community some 50 miles north of Dallas. Between 60 and 80 people were believed to be trapped in a Shell station that had collapsed, he added. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from the Shell station at a truck stop, and those who took shelter appeared to have been evacuated by Sunday morning.

“In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the weather service said radar had confirmed multiple tornadoes and hail 2 inches in diameter. Two people were killed in nearby Mayes County and at least six others taken for treatment, said Michael Dunham, deputy director of emergency management for Mayes County.

“Officials for Benton County, Arkansas, said one person had been killed and “multiple” people injured in the area due to the storms. Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway said emergency response teams were on search-and-rescue duty throughout the night.

“A second death — a 26-year-old woman — was confirmed in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen, with the county’s emergency management office. The woman was found outside of a destroyed home.

“The dangerous storms and tornadoes sweeping through the nation’s midsection also overturned 18-wheelers, smashed mobile homes and toppled power lines….” (NBC News Rebecca Cohen, Dennis Romero, Christine Rapp, Freddie Clayton). “Deadly storms sweep through South, leaving trail of destruction in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma.” 5-25-2024, updated 5-26-2024.)

May 27, NBC News: “At least 19 deaths have been reported after a series of severe storms and tornadoes battered the South and the Great Plains over Memorial Day weekend, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. Eight storm-related deaths were reported in Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a news conference Sunday evening; seven storm-related deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas; two in Mayes County, Oklahoma, and two in Kentucky: one in Louisville and another in Mercer County, where a tree fell on a house.

“The dead in Arkansas included a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient who depended on an oxygen concentrator that stopped working when power went out, Huckabee Sanders said. Other deaths included a person who died of a heart attack and another who perished when a downed tree or branch hit a trailer, she said.

“Residents in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee were hit with twisters, heavy winds and flooding in terrible conditions that began Saturday and moved into Sunday. Tornado watches and warnings were issued across multiple states Sunday night.

“More than 334,000 customers were without power Sunday evening in Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kansas, according to poweroutage.us….

“In Arkansas, a 26-year-old woman was found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, said Daniel Bolen of the county’s Office of Emergency Management. The weather service confirmed a tornado in Boone County on Sunday.

“An additional death in Arkansas was reported in Benton County, one other was reported in Baxter County, and two more were reported in Marion County. The eight deaths in Arkansas so far have added three to the weekend storm total for the U.S.

“The dead in Texas were ages 2 to 72, Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Sunday. They included two children, ages 2 and 5, and three family members who were found together in a home near the small community of Valley View, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said…. More than 100 injuries were reported, and an estimated 200 structures were destroyed, he said. About a third of the state’s counties have been added to the governor’s disaster declaration following recent storms, he said.

“The National Weather Service has so far confirmed two EF-2 tornadoes in Texas – one that tracked across Montague, Cooke and Denton counties and another in Collin County.

“One person died in Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg said Sunday on X, following “the severe weather that just moved through the area,” and some structural damage was reported. The man was believed to have been hit by a tree when he was found dead, NBC affiliate WAVE reported.” (NBC News (Rebecca Cohen and Doha Madani). “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024.)

Sources

Arkansas Advocate. “Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans.” 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://arkansasadvocate.com/briefs/severe-weather-tornadoes-kill-8-arkansans/#:~:text=By%3A%20Antoinette%20Grajeda%20%2D%20May%2026%2C%202024%2011%3A01%20pm&text=State%20and%20federal%20officials%20said,eight%20people%20in%20north%20Arkansas.

Associated Press. “At least 22 dead in Memorial Day weekend storms that devastated several US states.” Fox5Sandiego.com. 5-28-2024. Accessed 5-29-2024 at: https://fox5sandiego.com/weather/ap-latest-deadly-weather-in-us-kills-at-least-18-as-storms-carve-path-of-ruin-across-multiple-states/

Axios (Andrew Freedman and Rebecca Falconer). “Deadly tornado outbreak kills at least 21 as severe storms target East Coast. 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.axios.com/2024/05/25/severe-weather-tornadoes-oklahoma

DCNewsNow.com (Katelyn Harlow).“Person killed after thunderstorm winds down tree limb onto vehicle in Nelson County.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/virginia/person-killed-after-thunderstorm-winds-down-tree-limb-onto-vehicle-in-nelson-county/

Fox Weather (Hillary Andrews). “At least 8 dead in Arkansas as tornado outbreak carves paths through towns.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024

Fox Weather (Emily Speck). “Children among 7 dead in Texas after deadliest tornado since 2015.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/death-toll-texas-tornado-travel-stop

NBC News (Rebecca Cohen and Doha Madani). “At least 19 dead as tornadoes and storms batter central U.S.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/350000-power-missouri-arkansas-kentucky-storms-batter-middle-america-rcna154115

NBC News (Rebecca Cohen, Dennis Romero, Christine Rapp, Freddie Clayton). “Deadly storms sweep through South, leaving trail of destruction in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma.” 5-25-2024, updated 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/severe-storms-strike-eastern-half-us-memorial-day-weekend-heat-hits-so-rcna154076

NBCDFW Keenan Willard). “Mother and her two children killed after tornado drags mobile home.” 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tornado-kills-mother-two-children-in-cooke-county/3551507/

New York Times. “Storms Snarl Memorial Day Travel After at Least 22 Killed.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/27/us/memorial-day-weekend-storms.html

The Oklahoman (John Dulaney). “Two killed during Saturday storms, Oklahoma authorities confirm. What we know.” 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2024/05/26/two-killed-during-storms-that-moved-through-mayes-county-oklahoma-on-saturday-when-is-next-round/73863518007/

USA Today (John Bacon). “‘Dangerous out there’: 15 dead as tornadoes slam Texas, Okla., Ark., Ky. Live updates.” 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-26-2024 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/05/26/texas-oklahoma-tornado-severe-weather-live-updates/73861776007/

Wave3.com. “4 dead from severe storms in Kentucky; NWS says tornado hit near Meade-Hardin County line.” 5-27-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.wave3.com/2024/05/27/4-dead-severe-storms-kentucky-nws-says-tornado-hit-near-meade-hardin-county-line/

WFAA.com. (Pete Freedman and Richard Solomon). “Seven confirmed dead – including children – after an EF-2 tornado hit Cooke County Saturday night.” 5-26-2024. Accessed 5-27-2024 at: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/confirmed-fatalities-dozens-injured-cooke-county-reported-tornado-may-25/287-ed2cca36-a8fe-46be-8297-563609938e1f

[1] AP. “At least 22 dead in Memorial Day weekend storms that devastated…” Fox5, San Diego. 5-28-2024.

[2] Wave3.com. “4 dead from severe storms in Kentucky; NWS says tornado hit near Meade-Hardin County line.” 5-27-2024.

[3] WFAA.com. (Pete Freedman and Richard Solomon). “Seven confirmed dead – including children – after an EF-2 tornado hit Cooke County Saturday night.” 5-26-2024.

[4] DCNewsNow.com (Katelyn Harlow).“Person killed after thunderstorm winds down tree limb onto vehicle in Nelson County.” 5-27-2024.