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Twisters tore through Tennessee and Kentucky on April 3, leaving homes and trailers flattened. Meteorologists are blaming the violent weather on daytime heating combined with an unstable atmosphere.
Unusually strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming into the nation's midsection from the Gulf is also contributing to the extreme conditions.
Rural areas near the city of Selmer in Tennessee suffered downed trees and heavy structural damage after tornadoes roared through the area.
At least five people were reportedly killed during the storm, which caused widespread destruction across the region.
Structural damage is visible at Christ Community Church after a tornado struck in Paducah, Kentucky. Authorities issued a state of emergency ahead of the storms across Kentucky.
Some locations are forecast to see as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain over the coming days, which could cause rivers to burst their banks.
Tornado warnings—the highest level alert—remain in place in parts of Texas, Louisiana, and West Virginia, with tornado watches in parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Dozens of trees were toppled in the high winds, partially blocking roads and impeding access to more remote districts.
Many communities have been left without power after powerlines were downed.
Wind speeds up to 160 mph (241 km/h) were recorded in southwest Tennessee, where damage to homes was widespread.
Tornadoes and flash flooding in Arkansas and Kentucky scattered debris across a wide area and made conditions treacherous.
This latest round of inclement weather follows an equally destructive March, during which a string of 90 tornadoes also wreaked havoc across the South and Midwest. Woodland outside Tylertown, Mississippi, was felled by high winds, to leave it looking like a petrified forest.
The tornadoes claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds homeless and destitute.
The March storms left two people dead in Alabama and over 50 counties in the state reporting substantial damage.
On March 6, a tornado with 90 mph (144 km/h) winds touched down in Unionville, North Carolina, near a school. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
In Carmel, Indiana, office buildings were ripped apart after being battered by a tornado and heavy rain on April 3. Communities were warned of life-threatening flooding in the storm's aftermath.
Part of a warehouse in Brownsburg, Indiana, collapsed in the storm, temporarily trapping at least one person inside.
An employee from the Indiana Restoration and Cleaning Company is pictured making temporary repairs to a storm-damaged building in Carmel, Indiana.
According to the Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center, more than 90 million people were at some risk of severe weather in a huge part of the nation, stretching from Texas to Minnesota and Maine.
Widespread damage has left several schools closed, with classes suspended and students sent home.
April's storms are on course to be equally historic. The destruction is what the NWS is describing as part of a potent storm system that brings with it hail, rain, damaging winds, and more.
A series of violent storms currently ripping through the US South and Midwest are expected to continue for days.
Tornadoes and violent winds have left a trail of destruction across a broad sweep of the country, from Texas to Pennsylvania. Pictured is the damage sustained in the aftermath of a storm in Owasso, Oklahoma, on April 2.
At least 20 tornadoes swept across several states on April 2, destroying homes and businesses and leaving in their wake several people dead and many others injured.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning of "generational flooding" in the wake of the storms. Meanwhile, more severe thunderstorm alerts have been issued in parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Mississippi.
A total of 117 tornadoes were confirmed, with at least 43 people declared dead from both tornado-related and non-tornado-related impacts across eight states.
In Calera, Alabama, a trailer park was torn apart, causing thousands of dollars-worth of damage.
A tornado that hit the town of Nevada, Missouri, caused major damage to several businesses. Power poles were snapped and several (empty) train cars were flipped onto their sides.
The storm system responsible for the deadly series of tornadoes in March 2025 has been described as a "historic outbreak." It's pictured here centered over Kansas on March 14.
"It's an event that happens once in a generation to once in a lifetime,” the National Weather Service said.
Sources: (Associated Press) (Reuters) (ABC) (BBC)
See also: How are tornadoes formed?
Powerful storms described by the National Weather Service (NWS) as "historic" in their violent intensity are currently battering vast swathes of the US South and Midwest. More than 30 tornadoes have swept through numerous states, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses and claiming several lives.
As the NWS warns of more chaotic climate conditions to come, many are asking why the United States is experiencing such destructive weather patterns. Click through the following gallery for answers and an overview of the destruction so far visited upon at least eight US states.
Deadly storms wreak havoc across the US South and Midwest
Tornadoes and violent storms rip through southern states
LIFESTYLE Meteorology
Powerful storms described by the National Weather Service (NWS) as "historic" in their violent intensity are currently battering vast swathes of the US South and Midwest. More than 30 tornadoes have swept through numerous states, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses and claiming several lives.
As the NWS warns of more chaotic climate conditions to come, many are asking why the United States is experiencing such destructive weather patterns. Click through the following gallery for answers and an overview of the destruction so far visited upon at least eight US states.