Heartland Tornadoes Kill 7 in Arkansas

(AP) - A tornado that swept through the mountain community of Mena, Ark., killed three people and injured at least 30 others, authorities said today after a house-to-house search. The twister descended quickly on Mena shortly after 8 last night after a series of siren blasts warned residents of tornadoes in the area. "It just looks like a war zone," said the mayor. More»

Two killed in unseasonal storms

(NEWSER) - A series of freak tornadoes touched down last night across the Midwest, killing two Missouri women and leaving a swath of destruction in their wake, CNN reports. Another person was killed when another twister hit Arkansas this morning. “I’ve never seen damage like this in the summertime,” said one Wisconsin sheriff. “To see something like this in January is mind-boggling.” More»

As Joplin struggles with the aftermath, more bad weather likely

(NEWSER) - Even as rescue crews continue to search for survivors in devastated Joplin, Missouri, residents of the Midwest must steel themselves for more severe weather to come. Weather forecasters say the area could see a repeat of the April tornadoes that killed more than 300 people in the South over a period of three days. A large tornado outbreak could hit the Midwest today, with bad weather reaching the East Coast by the end of the week. "This is a very serious situation brewing," one expert tells the AP . More»

And more fatalities expected as gas leaks cause fires, more weather looms

(AP) - Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses and crushed cars today in a search for victims of a half-mile-wide tornado that blasted much of this Missouri town off the map and slammed straight into its hospital. At least 116 people died, making it the nation's deadliest single tornado in nearly 60 years and the second major tornado disaster in a month. An unknown number of people were hurt. More»

Tornado, violent winds rip through both states

(AP) - Destructive storms that tore across the country's midsection left at least nine people dead after smashing uprooted trees into homes in Arkansas and ripping apart the only school in the tiny Oklahoma town of Tushka, officials said today. The fatalities in Tushka were two sisters in their 70s, and another two dozen people were injured. Witnesses there reported seeing two tornadoes that merged to form a single twister. More»