In brief
Severe tornadoes wreaked havoc across the southern United States, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals and leaving tens of thousands without power as cities faced extensive property damage.
On December 28, workers in the town of Katy, Texas, were clearing debris after a series of tornadoes struck the region. Over the weekend, approximately 40 tornadoes were documented across states including Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, and Arkansas. Two of the fatalities occurred in Mississippi while one was reported in Texas and another in North Carolina. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves noted that one death in Mississippi took place in Adams County, roughly 92 miles west of Jackson, with the other in Lowndes County close to Alabama. Injuries were also reported, with at least ten people hurt statewide. As of Monday at 10:30 local time, nearly 32,000 residents were still without power in Mississippi, a decrease from about 100,000 after the storm.A tornado watch issued for Texas on December 28 was classified as a "particularly dangerous situation" — a rarity, as only about 7% of tornadoes each year receive such a designation. This warning is usually reserved for scenarios where forecasters predict multiple strong or violent tornadoes. In Brazoria County, Texas, a 48-year-old woman lost her life due to the storm, and four others sustained non-critical injuries. Montgomery County, north of Houston, reported significant damage, with roughly 300 buildings affected and 30 completely destroyed as tornadoes featuring winds up to 145 mph hit the area. North Carolina reported its second tornado-related death, when Matthew Ronald Teeple, 70, lost his life in a vehicle accident caused by a falling tree during the tornadoes. Statistics from the National Weather Service indicate that while around 800 tornadoes typically occur yearly in the US, resulting in about 80 fatalities, there have been a staggering 1,762 tornadoes reported from January to November of this year—marking a significant increase from previous years.
