Severe storms kill at least 20 in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas

Severe storms over the weekend killed at least 20 people in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, according to the Associated Press and Arkansas officials.

At least 25 tornadoes were reported across five states, officials said.

Texas was hit hard

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference Sunday night that severe weather had battered the state, leaving seven people dead and more than 100 injured.

Governor Abbott said 106 Texas counties are under disaster declarations.

More than 200 homes and buildings were destroyed and another 120 were damaged, according to Texas officials.

According to Dallas-Fort Worth ABC affiliate WFAA, video shows Cook County residents taking shelter at a Shell gas station as a tornado ripped through the area Saturday night, causing residents to flee as the tornado began destroying buildings.

No one was killed inside the gas station, according to WFAA.

Governor Abbott mourned those who died in the storm, saying, “There’s one thing you can’t rebuild – the loss of life. That’s why we always stress to everyone, through any storm, in everything we do, to put life first.”

Authorities said a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old from the same family were killed in Cook County, Texas. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press on Sunday that the children were among seven people killed in that area north of Dallas.

The tornado that struck Cook County was provisionally rated an EF-2 with maximum wind speeds of 135 mph.

Cook County Sheriff Ray Sappington said the storm struck a roadside travel center near Valley View, Texas, before moving through a community of manufactured homes.

More than 60 people were injured, he told WFAA.

Most of those deaths occurred in FRF Estates near Valley View, a community of manufactured homes about 60 miles northwest of Dallas, Sappington said.

He said on Sunday morning there had been “significant damage” and emergency response teams were searching the development for survivors.

Another hard-hit area was the Gateway AP Travel Center in Valley View, where many people pulled over to the side of the road and sought refuge in parking lots and truck stop restrooms. Sappington said between 60 and 80 people were injured at the facility.

“The storm caused extensive damage to numerous homes and businesses, including the Gateway AP Travel Center, which sustained significant damage,” the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Sunday morning. “First responders are working hard to search the rubble for missing individuals, and there are also numerous reports of injuries of various severity.”

Mr Sappington warned people to stay away from storm-damaged areas while emergency services searched for survivors and cleared debris from roads.

“We would really appreciate it if people would just leave the scene right now and give us a few hours to help with the search and rescue efforts,” Sappington said. “I know some people are out there and are trying to get back, but it’s dangerous out there. There are downed power lines. There are reports of gas leaks. It’s just dangerous right now. Please give us a little bit of time to do what we need to do. We’re still working on the rescue. The best thing people can do right now is give us a little bit of time.”

Meanwhile, in Bella Vista, Arkansas, a landslide closed Interstate 340 in both directions, Bella Vista Police said. Police said the highway was closed because heavy rain had washed away the ground underneath the road, creating a “deteriorating road surface.”

Two dead in Arkansas, officials say

Authorities in Arkansas said at least two people were killed in a suspected tornado that struck early Sunday. One person was found dead in Benton County in the northwestern part of the state, and a 26-year-old woman was found dead outside a destroyed home in Albay, Boone County, authorities said.

In addition to the two deaths, several people were injured in Benton County, Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said at a news conference.

At least one tornado struck the town of Decatur in Benton County, and two others appeared to have touched down near Beaver Lake, Moehring said.

Moehring said the storm downed numerous trees and power lines, and strong straight-line winds also caused extensive damage in Bentonville, destroying part of the courthouse.

He said emergency crews were responding to reports of people trapped in the rubble.

Police in Rogers, Arkansas, also in Benton County, posted photos on Facebook on Sunday showing widespread damage in downtown Rogers. The Rogers Police Department said emergency teams were searching for survivors and assessing the damage.

“All major roads are treed or closed and we are still responding to calls. Having too many vehicles on the road hinders our response efforts,” the Rogers Police Department said in a Facebook post, urging people not to drive around the barricades.

Two dead in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office told ABC affiliate KTUL in Tulsa that at least two people were killed when a suspected tornado struck Pryor, Oklahoma, about 45 miles east of Tulsa.

Tornado watches issued from Washington DC to North Carolina

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Monday for parts of the District of Columbia, central and eastern Maryland, eastern and northern Virginia and central and eastern North Carolina.

“Damaging winds are expected to be the most common risk, but hail is also possible, and moist conditions and strong atmospheric winds will also increase the risk of tornadoes,” the NWS said.