Large scale wildfires and straight-line-winds ravaged Oklahoma on Friday, one day before violent tornadoes hit the Mississippi Valley on Saturday, resulting in at least 17 deaths.
The state of Missouri had 11 deaths alone, according to The Associated Press. Three people died in Arkansas while 29 others were injured across eight counties amid hurricane-like weather, as reported by AP.
Three additional people were killed in car crashes on Friday in the Texas panhandle.
The destruction warranted several state of emergencies in Southern states including Georgia, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Gov. J Kevin Stitt (R) wrote due to “damage to power lines and infrastructure, it is necessary to assist and expedite all efforts of relief” in his Saturday executive order declaring an emergency. Nearly 300 homes in the state were damaged due to the natural disaster.
Wind gusts were expected to blow at up to 80 mph (130 kph) from the Canadian border to Texas, AP said. The extreme weather caused the risk of wildfires in warm areas and blizzard conditions in colder regions.
Texas saw fires while power outages impacted more than 260,000 homes across the Southwest.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) wrote the severe thunderstorms and tornadoes caused “dangers, hardships, and suffering throughout the state.”
Eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama remain at risk of experiencing more tornadoes on Saturday in addition to western portions of Georgia and the Florida panhandle, according to AP.
