At least 27 dead as tornadoes ravage central US

It was the scariest thing I've ever been through, it was so fast, our ears were all about to burst,

Alicia Wilson, who was evacuated from her home in Missouri, told TV station KSDK

Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which may be long-track and potentially violent, should continue into this evening,

the National Weather Service said

We get a lot of tornado warnings in Missouri. We just thought it was another thing — it’s springtime,

Azddou said

As soon as I saw the roof come off, I felt all the air. The ceiling dropped in, insulation was everywhere, so I just jumped off the steps,

Purnell said

We were just crouching down. It felt like the house was coming down on us,

she said, recalling the terrifying moments as she shielded her three children

That’s when I was like, ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go—everybody to the basement.’ And we barely made it down there before the windows blew,

she said

A strong weather front with high winds moved into northwest Kansas from Colorado, causing a severe dust storm,

it said

This is something that's going to take days, weeks, months, and we are committed to be there every single step of the way and help as much as possible,

Huckabee Sanders said

It's one thing to see pictures and videos,

the governor said at a news conference in the city of roughly 6,000 in northeast Arkansas

It's hard to look at this level of devastation and not be heartbroken. I mean, these are people's homes, their businesses, their livelihoods."

She continued

An adult female was found in the backyard of her residence near electrical lines. The female was pronounced deceased at the scene,

police said in a news release

Brian Kempgovernor

This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed,

Kemp said in a statement

It’s devastating when you turn around and look down the street at the houses, some still on fire, some just smoldering,

Ryan said

We just bring a family together, any excuse,

Snyder said

If you live in these areas, get to the sturdiest structure you have access to and remain in place until the storms pass,

the weather service warned

The weather-related damage includes numerous downed power lines, creating the need for commercial vehicles to haul heavy equipment, oversized loads, transformers, necessary hardware, and other transmission and distribution equipment to line crews for the purpose of restoring power to the citizens of Arkansas."

The emergency declaration read

The Patrol and local agencies are working tirelessly to assist those in need and assess the damage."

Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement on X

We have teams out surveying the damage from last night's tornadoes and have first responders on the ground to assist,

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on X, adding

Smoke from the wildfire was also a factor, as was the blowing dirt in that crash,

Texas DPS Sergeant Cindy Barkley said about the Gray County crash

So really, this kind of stuff hits close to home when those fires come through, there’s just not a lot that you can do,

he said