Little Rock: Unprecedented tornadoes and violent storms swept across large areas of the southern and Midwest, causing extensive damage, including downed power lines, uprooted trees, and destroyed roofs of homes, in addition to scattering debris tens of meters into the air.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency warning for northeastern Arkansas, stressing that the situation is “life-threatening” and urging residents to seek shelter immediately. It also warned that strong storms could lead to dangerous flash flooding through Saturday, noting that more than 30 centimeters of rain are expected over the next four days.

The Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma reported that more than 90 million people are at risk of severe weather in an area stretching from Texas to Minnesota and Maine. Dozens of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi, as storms swept through these states, causing extensive dam
age.

The National Weather Service described this event as “rare,” noting that it could be “once in a generation or even a lifetime.” It added that the expected rainfall amounts and potential impacts could be historic, increasing the risk to residents and infrastructure.

Meteorologists attributed these violent weather conditions to high daytime temperatures, atmospheric instability, strong winds, and high humidity coming from the Gulf of Mexico, which led to these destructive storms.