Oklahoma wildfires fueled by high winds, dry weather; 3 killed in Texas dust storm
Wildfires in Oklahoma and surrounding states spread rapidly Friday amid warm, dry weather and strong winds, forcing evacuation orders for some communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.
High winds also knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, according to the website poweroutage.us.
Oklahoma fires
Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. The State Patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers.
Firefighters ordered the evacuation of the town of Leedey, and multiple shelters opened in nearby cities. Multiple other fires started near Norman, FOX Weather reports.
"As many as 4 dangerous wildfires are occurring in east Norman near Lake Thunderbird," the NWS in Norman posted on X. "If you live near 108th and Tecumseh or anywhere within 4 miles north and 4 miles east of there, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."
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"This is terrible out here," said Charles Daniel, a truck driver hauling a 48-foot trailer along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma. "There’s a lot of sand and dirt in the air. I’m not pushing it over 55 mph. I’m scared it will blow over if I do."
Big picture view:
Experts say it's not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.
"What’s unique about this one is its large size and intensity," said Bill Bunting of the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. "And so what that is doing is producing really substantial impacts over a very large area."
What’s next: Forecasters said the severe storm threat would continue into the weekend with a high chance of tornadoes and damaging winds Saturday in Mississippi and Alabama. Heavy rain could bring flash flooding to some parts of the East Coast on Sunday.
Texas wildfires
What we know:
A blaze in Roberts County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile to an estimated 32.8 square miles, the Texas A&M University Forest Service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Friday evening.
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About 60 miles to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles before its advance was halted in the afternoon.
Deadly dust storm
What we know:
Three people were killed Friday in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo County in the Texas Panhandle, according to Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the state’s department of public safety. One pileup involved an estimated 38 cars.
What they're saying:
"It’s the worst I’ve ever seen," Barkley said, calling the near-zero visibility a nightmare. "We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled."
St. Louis, Missouri tornado
What they're saying:
The weather service said at least five tornadoes were reported in Missouri on Friday, including one in the Saint Louis area. Several buildings were damaged.
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The Storm Prediction Center warned that fast-moving storms would spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs, but the greatest threat would come from straight-line winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 mph (160 kph) possible.
What's next:
"Potentially violent" tornadoes were expected Saturday in parts of the central Gulf Coast and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley, according to the National Weather Service.
The Storm Prediction Center said parts of Mississippi including Jackson and Hattiesburg and areas of Alabama including Birmingham and Tuscaloosa would be at a high risk. Severe storms and tornadoes were also possible across eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee and the western Florida Panhandle.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press and FOX Weather.