At Least Two Killed by Tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas

At least two people are dead and dozens have been injured after tornadoes ripped through parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, leaving destruction in their wake.

Several twisters caused carnage across the various states on Friday, tearing up buildings in their path and endangering the lives of thousands.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said that all the homes had been searched one day after the twisters wrought destruction the area and that a 90-year-old man had been killed.

Keli Cain, spokesperson for the state’s Department of Emergency Management, said the man had been found at his home in the Pickens area of McCurtain County, about 36 miles north of the Idabel, Oklahoma, which bore the brunt of the carnage.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that a 6-year-old girl had drowned, although it was not immediately clear if this was caused by the storms. A 43-year-old man is also missing after his vehicle was swept by water off a bridge in the state.

An official in Morris County, Texas said that one person died as a result of a storms in a social media post, offering no further details on how the fatality occurred.

Governor Stitt has declared a state of emergency for McCurtain County, Oklahoma, where Idabel is situated, as well as the neighboring Bryan, Choctaw and LeFlore counties.

Such a declaration is required to qualify for federal assistance and funding, and allows state agencies to make recovery-related purchases with less restrictions.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said “all available resources” had been deployed to aid recovery efforts, and encouraged residents to report damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“I have deployed all available resources to help respond and recover,” Abbott said in a statement. “I thank all of our hardworking state and local emergency management personnel for their swift response.”

Tornado warnings were still in effect as of late Friday in all three states as well as Missouri, which has avoided the worst of the storms so far.