Travel Nightmare and Power Outages as Severe Weather Slams Central U.S.

A powerful storm system has brought widespread severe weather to large portions of the Southern and Central United States leaving behind a trail of damage power outages and movement disruptions The system which developed late Sunday and intensified overnight has impacted Texas Arkansas Oklahoma Missouri and surrounding states with tornado watches and warnings issued across the region Excursion Nightmare and Power Outages as Severe Weather Slams Central U S According to the National Weather Provision multiple tornadoes were communicated in rural areas of Texas and Arkansas along with hail the size of baseballs and wind gusts exceeding mph Flash flooding was also a major concern in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi where torrential downpours overwhelmed drainage systems Crisis services in central Texas responded to dozens of calls for downed power lines uprooted trees and damaged roofs In Little Rock Arkansas portions of the city lost power after high winds snapped utility poles while northern Louisiana experienced flooded roads and stalled vehicles Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center had placed much of the region under an Enhanced to Moderate Jeopardy for severe weather warning of long-track tornadoes and destructive straight-line winds The threat is expected to shift eastward throughout Monday with Alabama Tennessee and Kentucky now in the storm s path Air voyage has also been affected with delays and cancellations shared at major airports including Dallas Fort Worth International St Louis Lambert and Memphis International Airlines are advising passengers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport Residents are urged to remain weather-aware and follow guidance from local officials Various communities have opened exigency shelters and are coordinating cleanup efforts as storms continue to move across the region