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»

Kansas, Oklahoma warned of 'life-threatening' weather

(AP) - More than a dozen possible tornadoes were reported today as forecasters warned residents across the nation's midsection to brace for "life-threatening" weather. An apparent tornado took down barns, outbuildings, and large trees in southeast Nebraska, and Johnson County emergency director Clint Strayhorn said he was still trying to determine how long the twister was on the ground and how much damage it did. "I'm on a 2-mile stretch that this thing is on the ground and I haven't even gotten to the end of it yet," he said as he walked the path of destruction near the Johnson-Nemaha county line. More»

Twister damages rural homes near San Antonio

(NEWSER) - A tornado touched down near San Antonio yesterday, damaging roughly 50 homes and sweeping others away entirely, the National Weather Service has confirmed. The twister touched down about 25 miles southwest of the city and moved toward it, but never reached it, instead damaging mostly rural property, Reuters reports. The accompanying storm did leave roughly 23,000 San Antonio homes without power, however, and lightning strikes set at least two homes on fire. 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»