Deadly tornadoes ripped across parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas late Saturday and early Sunday. At least 14 people were reported dead, including at least seven in rural Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border.
Three of the dead in Cooke County were found in a single destroyed home, according to authorities.
"There's nothing left of this house. It's just a trail of debris. The devastation is pretty severe," Sheriff Ray Sappington told the Associated Press.
The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, the sheriff said.
A tornado in Denton County Texas also caused extensive damage.
It damaged homes, overturned vehicles and knocked down power lines. Traffic was stopped on Interstate 35 for several hours due to overturned 18-wheelers and downed power lines.
Damage was reported at the Lake Ray Roberts Marina and at Isle du Bois State Park, according to county authorities. Power outages, uprooted trees, and downed limbs were reported from west of Sanger across the lake into Pilot Point.
More photos and videos from the Denton County, TX #tornado #weather #SevereWeather #weatherdamage pic.twitter.com/OPDAVsWjeD
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The Denton County Office of Emergency Management reported that injured people were transported to Denton and area hospitals via ambulance and helicopter. The number of people injured and the types of injuries were not immediately available.
A Shell truck stop off Lone Oak Road in Cooke County just north of the Denton County line was severely damaged, and individuals were reported to be trapped inside after the storm passed through the area.
The City of Denton Fire Department said it was working to free people trapped in the debris.
At 5 a.m., there were still thousands of power outages across the region.
Police in Claremore, Oklahoma, said the city was "shut down" due to storm damage. Electricity was out throughout the city and would remain so for "an extended period of time," police said.
At least five people were killed in Arkansas. A 26-year-old woman was found dead outside a destroyed home in the town of Olvey. Another person died in Benton County and the other two died in Marion County.
This spring has brought tremendous tornado activity to the Midwest. There was the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the month of April, according to the Associated Press.
The storm system causing the severe weather was expected to move east for the rest of the holiday weekend.
