A slow-moving, active storm system brought heavy rain, large hail, and tornadoes to parts of Texas and Oklahoma, leaving three people dead. Severe weather warnings continued on Sunday, affecting parts of the south-central and Midwest U.S.
On Easter Sunday, communities in Texas and Oklahoma began assessing the damage caused by the tornadoes. The National Weather Service reported 17 events on Saturday, five of which were confirmed in south-central Oklahoma, including one that caused significant damage to a small town still recovering from a March tornado.
The storm also brought heavy rain to a broad area of north-central Texas and central-eastern Oklahoma, accumulating between 2 and 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain from Saturday into Sunday.
Police in Moore, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, received dozens of reports of “high-water incidents” over the weekend, including two cars stranded in floodwaters on Saturday evening. One car was swept away under a bridge, and while some people were rescued, a woman and a 12-year-old boy were found dead. Moore, with a population of about 63,000, reported dozens of high-water incidents across the city.
The storm also killed one person southeast of Spaulding, where a tornado touched down. Several homes and structures were destroyed, and “numerous washouts” occurred on county roads.
The National Weather Service indicated that the tornado was at least EF1, with wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph (138 to 177 kph), as was another tornado south of Oklahoma City in Love County.
The system remained stationary over Texas and Oklahoma on Saturday, leaving the region under a very active thunderstorm pattern that produced large hail, flash flooding, and tornadoes.
In Marshall County, Oklahoma, initial reports showed a tornado “skipped and jumped” over a rural area, damaging at least 20 homes, some of which were completely destroyed.
A tornado also hit the north side of Ada, Oklahoma, which was still rebuilding from a March tornado. The storm caused damage to buildings, power lines, and trees, particularly on the north side of the city.
At least two tornadoes crossed west Parker County, Texas, where emergency crews responded to several homes with torn-off roofs and exposed houses. Photos showed a detached roof smashed across a driveway.
By Sunday afternoon, the storm system moved more quickly northeast but remained active, with risks of hail, high winds, and heavy rain in Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, and southeastern Iowa. Thousands in Missouri were left without power.
While heavy rain subsided in Texas and Oklahoma by late Sunday afternoon, additional heavy rain is expected across parts of the Plains this week, increasing the risk of further flooding due to swollen streams and saturated ground.
