March 16 (UPI) -- A swarm of dust storms and tornadoes tore across the southern United States over the weekend, killing at least 39 people and leaving behind wrecked communities. Sunday marked the third day of a storm system that has also brought large hail and flooding.
The destruction appears to have begun around 3:22 p.m. on Friday when a dust storm associated with the storm system caused zero visibility conditions and multiple car crashes along I-70 in Sherman County, Kansas.
More than 50 cars were involved in that pileup, which led to the deaths of at least 8 people, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. A number of other people were injured and transported to medical care facilities across the region.
Associated dust storms also caused car accidents in the Texas Panhandle on Friday that killed at least 3 people and fanned the flames of wildfires that sparked in the Lone Star State, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Texas A&M Forest Service said it responded to 13 wildfires that burned 27,717 acres across the state.
In Oklahoma, the state's highway patrol said in a statement Saturday that it assisted the Enid Police Department with responding to a fatal crash tied to the weather and otherwise responded to 42 injury-causing crashes and 36 fires.
The death toll attributed to the storm was first reported as standing around 13 people dead Saturday afternoon in Missouri and Arkansas, before a new round of cyclones touched down from Saturday night into Sunday. In Arkansas, emergency management officials said in a statement that they have confirmed three deaths.
The earlier reported death toll for the storm system did not account for the deaths from the associated dust storms and high winds in other states and has been updated to include the latest information from Missouri.
"As of this time, there have been 12 confirmed weather-related fatalities," the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency posted on social media late Saturday, updating its number of fatalities." SEMA continues to coordinate with state and local response agencies and our volunteer partners to assist those in need."
Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a statement late Saturday that he had visited the hardest hit areas across the state and called the devastation "heartbreaking."
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Saturday night his state has counted six deaths -- one in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, and three in Walthall County. Three additional people are currently missing, and 29 people have been injured statewide.
Reeves said that there was damage from the storm system in 21 of the state's 82 counties while as many as 30,000 customers were initially without power.
The storm system has now moved through Alabama and into Georgia, where it continues to bring destruction.
"You gotta practice what you preach, and we did just that earlier this evening," the National Weather Service office in Birmingham said in a statement early Sunday morning.
"Our staff took shelter when a tornado-warned storm was approaching our office. (Our break room is our safe room.) We also took that time to check on coworkers who were in the tornado's path."
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said at least three people were killed in her state, one in Plantersville and one in Winterboro, with the state suffering damage in 52 of its 67 counties.
"We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured," she said in a statement. "And we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now."
According to Poweroutage.us, some 60,000 customers were still without power in Missouri while 17,191 were without power in Alabama and 27,507 were without power in Georgia, among other states affected
Trump in a statement Sunday evening said they were "actively monitoring" the storm activity and had deployed the National Guard to Arkansas.
"My Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage," he said.
