Tornadoes strike several states as multi-day stretch of severe weather begins
A tornado that struck Pilot Grove early Wednesday morning was one of dozens of confirmed twisters connected to an extensive storm system over the central US. The storm will linger for several days and could produce more severe storms and historic flooding into the weekend.
The National Weather Service declared the tornado near Pilot Grove an EF-2 as it ravaged several homes in Cooper County. This was the strongest of three confirmed tornadoes in western Missouri early Wednesday. An EF-1 tornado knocked over train cars near Nevada, and an EF-0 briefly touched down in Bates County and damaged a farm.
Other tornadoes to the east are also being surveyed, while worse devastation has been reported in neighboring states. A powerful tornado tore through Lake City, Arkansas, in the far northwest corner of the state, and another strong tornado in Selmer, Tennessee, produced shocking footage as it demolished buildings.
Between April 1st and 2nd, there were 298 tornado warnings and over 425 severe thunderstorm warnings, a preliminary record for the 3rd most severe warnings in a single day. So far, 29 tornadoes have been reported in the outbreak, compared to 73 confirmed twisters in an outbreak on March 15th earlier this year.
