OAN Staff James Meyers
2:08 PM – Thursday, April 3, 2025
A deadly tornado killed at least eight people and prompted over 20 twisters across the Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.
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The Mississippi Valley, a vast area encompassing the Mississippi River and its watershed, stretches from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, covering a significant portion of the central U.S.
In Tennessee, at least six people have died so far, due to the devastating weather, according to the state’s Department of Health — who announced the news on Thursday.
The storms have also injured numerous others and destroyed several homes in states like Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana.
In Arkansas, a devastating tornado hit the northeastern part of the state on Wednesday, prompting a tornado emergency to be declared in certain areas of the state.
The FOX Forecast Center described the storm as a “wedge tornado,” which is a type of twister that is particularly dangerous and wide.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has since warned of “life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic” flash flood risks, and “multiple intense tornadoes.”
The prolonged deluge “is an event that happens once in a generation to once in a lifetime,” the NWS said in one flood warning.
Intense winds had reportedly reached up to 200 mph, causing bursts of light, which were most likely caused by transformers exploding.
Local authorities reported that at least two dozen homes were significantly damaged in Monette and Lake City — with seven people receiving treatment for injuries.
The Westside School District, which is located in the northeastern part of Arkansas, reported that classes will not be held on Thursday, and that one of its facilities had suffered substantial damage.
Indiana saw one resident killed during the storm when his vehicle ran over downed powerlines.
In Kentucky, multiple structures in the city of Gage were damaged as well, leaving four people injured, with one in critical condition — according to NWS storm reports.
As for Missouri, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike McClure told FOX Weather that power lines were brought down inside the city of Nevada, and several businesses, including a hotel, were severely damaged.
Another injury was also reported after a tornado destroyed a home in Stoddard, Missouri.
The governors of Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Wisconsin have since issued states of emergency, as more than 300,000 customers have lost power “from the South to the Great Lakes.”
According to local National Weather Service branches, heavy rain and thunderstorms continued to move across the U.S. on Wednesday.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center labeled Wednesday’s event a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” with the threat level reaching a Level 5 out of 5 “high risk” on its severe thunderstorm risk scale.
The last time a Level 5 alert was issued was on March 15th, when the National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornadoes — which tragically resulted in seven deaths and 12 injuries.
Severe weather is expected to continue into Thursday and possibly Friday.
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