At Least 5 Dead After Powerful Texas Storms

Powerful storms across Texas and Oklahoma obliterated homes, leaving thousands of people without power and a wide trail of damage Sunday. A sheriff said at least five people were dead in one rural community in Texas and more were injured, per the AP. The destructive storms began Saturday night and included a tornado that overturned heavy recreational vehicles and shut down an interstate near Dallas.

• In Cooke County, Texas, Sheriff Ray Sappington said that the five dead included three family members who were found in one home near Valley View, a rural community near the border with Oklahoma. "Sadly, we think that that number is probably going to go up," Sappington said. "The devastation is pretty severe."
• In neighboring Denton County, officials said multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance. Late Saturday, a tornado crossed into northern Denton County and overturned tractor-trailer trucks, stopping traffic on Interstate 35. The storm damaged homes, overturned motorhomes, and knocked down power lines and trees throughout the area including points in Sanger, Pilot Point, Ray Roberts Lake, and Isle du Bois State Park.

• The Claremore, Oklahoma, police announced on social media that the city about 28 miles east of Tulsa was "shut down" as a result of storm damage including downed power lines and trees and inaccessible roads.
• Where next: Forecasters had issued tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of both states, as some heat records were broken during the day in South Texas and residents received triple-digit temperature warnings over the long holiday weekend. The storm system causing the severe weather was expected to move east as the Memorial Day weekend continues, bringing rain that could delay the Indianapolis 500 auto race Sunday in Indiana and more severe storms in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. The risk of severe weather moves into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday, forecasters said.

(More Texas stories.)