In the central and southern parts of the US, fires, powerful tornadoes and strong winds, accompanied by sandstorms, destroyed homes and schools, and at least 32 people died.
Extreme weather conditions have hit the region of more than 100 million people, with strong winds and blizzards in the north and a higher risk of fires in hotter, drier places in the south. Experts say such weather conditions are not unusual in March.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said six people were dead in three counties and three more were missing Saturday night as the storms moved further east into Alabama, where roads are impassable.
Officials confirmed three deaths in Arkansas, where Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp did the same in anticipation of the storm moving east.
Sandstorms brought by strong winds claimed dozens of lives on Friday. Eight people were killed in a crash on a Kansas highway involving at least 50 vehicles. Authorities said three people also died in traffic accidents during the storm in Amarillo, Texas.
Evacuations were ordered in parts of Oklahoma after more than 130 fires were reported, damaging or destroying nearly 300 homes. Gov. Kevin Stitt said about 689 square miles (XNUMX square kilometers) had burned, saying his ranch home northeast of Oklahoma City was also destroyed.
To the north, the National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. Snowfall amounts of 7,6 to 15,2 inches (30 to XNUMX centimeters) are expected, with up to XNUMX inches (XNUMX centimeters) possible.
Severe tornadoes continued late Saturday, with the region at highest risk stretching from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi to Alabama, western Georgia and Florida, the Storm Prediction Center said.
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