TYLERTOWN, Miss. (AP) — Unusually vicious and damaging weather across multiple U.S. states spawned violent tornadoes, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires this weekend, leaving at least 37 people dead.
Hailey Hart and her fiancé Steve Romero hunkered down with their three huskies inside their 1994 Toyota Celica as a tornado ripped apart their home Saturday in Tylertown, Mississippi.
Click to Gallery
A cat cries out while sitting before a destroyed cabin from a tornado at Paradise Ranch RV Resort in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A grove of pine trees were destroyed by Saturday's tornado in Tylertown, Miss., shown on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Steve Romero, comforts his fiancee, Hailey Hart, right, Sunday, March 16, 2024, after recalling how the couple and their three dogs rode out an apparent tornado in their small automobile, Saturday afternoon, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Family friend Trey Bridges, 16, climbs a mountain of tornado debris to help the Blansett family recover items not destroyed by Saturday's tornado, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Donna Blansett, holds her dog LuLu, and recalls how she and husband Bobby Blansett, managed to escape Saturday from their tornado destroyed mobile home after a series of storms passed Tylertown, Miss., on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tasha May, right, and her husband Tommy May, recover clothing from a cabinet in the tornado destroyed home of her grandparents, Sunday, March 16, 2025, Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tommy May, tosses paneling from a tornado destroyed home of relatives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Patricia Blansett inspects a family portrait print, one of the few items that family and friends recovered intact, Sunday, March 16, 2025 from her relative's mobile home that was destroyed when a series of storms passed Tylertown, Miss., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Hailey Hart, 21, right, hugs a friend, Sage Falgoust, 16, after recalling how she, her fiancee and their dogs rode out Saturday's tornado in their 1994 Toyota automobile, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Michelle Moore is tended to by a police officer after she was rescued by her son who pulled her out of her trailer that was destroyed by a tornado that passed through, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Michelle Moore rests on the bumper of a police car after she was rescued by her son who pulled her out of her trailer that was destroyed by a tornado that passed through, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Locals help clear the roads from debris after a tornado passed through leaving a path of destruction, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Locals help clear the roads from debris after a tornado passed through leaving a path of destruction, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Downed trees and power lines block a road along Highway 82 after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Maplesville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Furniture and kitchen appliances are exposed in the remnants of a recreational vehicle damaged by a series of storms that passed the region at Paradise Ranch RV Resort in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Emily and Tony Robertson look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Emily Robertson reunites with one of her cats as she looks for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Downed trees and power lines block a road along Highway 82 after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Maplesville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
A cat cries out while sitting in front of a destroyed cabin at Paradise Ranch RV Resort after a series of storms passed the area in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A home is destroyed after a severe storm, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Matt Wolff, left, works underneath his carport with the help of his father-in-law Dempsey Watson and friend Tyler Umbright, right, as they work to stabilize after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
In this photo provided by Missouri State Highway Patrol, a home is damaged after a severe storm passed the area near Ozark County, Mo., early Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
Missy, who declined to give her last name, searches for photographs in a debris field behind a relative's home after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Marcus Cole embraces his daughters while standing in front of his destroyed home after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Debris covers the road during a severe storm passed the area north of Seymour, Mo., in Webster County late Friday, March 14, 2025. (Trooper Austin James/Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP)
A wildfire spreads through trees Friday, March 14, 2025, south of Langston, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
A wildfire burns a home down on Friday, March 14, 2025, south of Langston, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Mark Nelson, of Wis., waits with his tractor-trailer after it overturned during high winds and a possible tornado on Interstate 44 westbound at Villa Ridge, Mo., Friday, March 14, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A vehicle sits in front of a damaged home and debris from a severe storm Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Debris from a severe storm is scattered outside a damaged home Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
People work through the debris of the Cave City Auto Parts store on Saturday, March 15, 2025 after a severe weather storm Friday night in Cave City, Ark. (Staci Vandagriff/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Tim Scott, right, gets a hug from friend Jorden Harris outside Scott's home he was inside when it was destroyed during a severe storm the evening before Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Romero said he prayed out loud and hugged Hart as the car rolled onto its side, windows shattering, before it landed on its wheels again. After the twister passed, they could hear people nearby screaming for help.
“It was a bad dream come true,” Romero said.
Next door, Hart’s grandparents crawled out from the rubble of their destroyed house after they sought shelter in a bathroom as falling trees collapsed the roof.
“Everything was coming down on us,” said Donna Blansett, Hart’s grandmother. “All I could do was pray to God to save us.”
They escaped with just a few scratches and aches. Family members, friends and volunteers spent Sunday removing debris and salvaging anything they could find — some damp clothes, a photo album and a few toiletries.
“I’m so happy you’re alive,” Hart said through tears, as she embraced her grandmother on Sunday.
The National Weather Service said tornado watches had mostly expired, but dangerous winds were still possible in the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida through Sunday evening.
The dynamic storm that began Friday earned an unusual “high risk” designation from weather forecasters. Still, experts said it’s not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.
President Donald Trump said in a post on his social media network that his administration is ready to assist affected communities.
“Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!” he posted Sunday.
At least three people, including an 82-year-old woman, were killed in central Alabama when multiple tornados swept across the state.
In Troy, Alabama, parks officials said the recreation center where many residents had taken refuge had to be closed due to damage from overnight storms. No one was injured.
“We are thankful the Lord provided protection over our community, and over 200 guests at the Recreation Center storm shelter on Saturday night," the parks department said in a statement.
Missouri resident Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing trapped neighbors found five bodies scattered in rubble Friday night outside what remained of his aunt’s house in hard-hit Wayne County. Scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people in the state, authorities said.
“It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night," Henderson said Saturday, not far from the splintered home he said they rescued his aunt through a window of the only room left standing.
Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, Missouri, described the home where one man was killed as “just a debris field.”
“The floor was upside down,” he said. “We were walking on walls.”
In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that six people died and more than 200 were displaced after tornadoes sowed devastation across three counties. And in the northern part of the state, roads were inundated and some people were stranded by flood waters.
One of the deaths occurred in Covington County, where Seminary resident Traci Ladner said she watched a tornado knock down trees and power lines and destroy a house Saturday as she drove home from Ward’s Restaurant.
The twister touched down briefly, traveled over Highway 49 and then went back up before making another quick descent, she said.
“I was crying. My legs were shaking. It was pretty scary,” she said.
In Arkansas, officials confirmed three deaths.
Wind-driven wildfires caused extensive damage in Texas and Oklahoma and officials warned Sunday that parts of both states would again face an increased risk of fire danger in the coming week.
More than 130 fires were reported across Oklahoma and nearly 300 homes were damaged or destroyed, Gov. Kevin Stitt said.
“Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70 mph,” said Terry Essary, the fire chief of Stillwater, Oklahoma. “It’s an insurmountable task.”
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Keli Cain said Sunday that two people were killed as a result of the wildfires and weather.
Meanwhile, dust storms spurred by high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle.
Reynolds reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Utah; Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey; Jeff Roberson in Wayne County, Missouri; Gene Johnson in Seattle; Janie Har in San Francisco and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.
A cat cries out while sitting before a destroyed cabin from a tornado at Paradise Ranch RV Resort in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A grove of pine trees were destroyed by Saturday's tornado in Tylertown, Miss., shown on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Steve Romero, comforts his fiancee, Hailey Hart, right, Sunday, March 16, 2024, after recalling how the couple and their three dogs rode out an apparent tornado in their small automobile, Saturday afternoon, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Family friend Trey Bridges, 16, climbs a mountain of tornado debris to help the Blansett family recover items not destroyed by Saturday's tornado, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Donna Blansett, holds her dog LuLu, and recalls how she and husband Bobby Blansett, managed to escape Saturday from their tornado destroyed mobile home after a series of storms passed Tylertown, Miss., on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tasha May, right, and her husband Tommy May, recover clothing from a cabinet in the tornado destroyed home of her grandparents, Sunday, March 16, 2025, Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tommy May, tosses paneling from a tornado destroyed home of relatives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Patricia Blansett inspects a family portrait print, one of the few items that family and friends recovered intact, Sunday, March 16, 2025 from her relative's mobile home that was destroyed when a series of storms passed Tylertown, Miss., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Hailey Hart, 21, right, hugs a friend, Sage Falgoust, 16, after recalling how she, her fiancee and their dogs rode out Saturday's tornado in their 1994 Toyota automobile, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tylertown, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Michelle Moore is tended to by a police officer after she was rescued by her son who pulled her out of her trailer that was destroyed by a tornado that passed through, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Michelle Moore rests on the bumper of a police car after she was rescued by her son who pulled her out of her trailer that was destroyed by a tornado that passed through, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Locals help clear the roads from debris after a tornado passed through leaving a path of destruction, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Locals help clear the roads from debris after a tornado passed through leaving a path of destruction, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Downed trees and power lines block a road along Highway 82 after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Maplesville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Furniture and kitchen appliances are exposed in the remnants of a recreational vehicle damaged by a series of storms that passed the region at Paradise Ranch RV Resort in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Emily and Tony Robertson look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Emily Robertson reunites with one of her cats as she looks for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Downed trees and power lines block a road along Highway 82 after a tornado passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Maplesville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Residents look for personal belongings in the damage after a tornado passed through where two people lost their lives, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Plantersville, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
A cat cries out while sitting in front of a destroyed cabin at Paradise Ranch RV Resort after a series of storms passed the area in Tylertown, Miss., Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A home is destroyed after a severe storm, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Matt Wolff, left, works underneath his carport with the help of his father-in-law Dempsey Watson and friend Tyler Umbright, right, as they work to stabilize after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
In this photo provided by Missouri State Highway Patrol, a home is damaged after a severe storm passed the area near Ozark County, Mo., early Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
Missy, who declined to give her last name, searches for photographs in a debris field behind a relative's home after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Marcus Cole embraces his daughters while standing in front of his destroyed home after a severe storm in Bridgeton, Mo., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Debris covers the road during a severe storm passed the area north of Seymour, Mo., in Webster County late Friday, March 14, 2025. (Trooper Austin James/Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP)
A wildfire spreads through trees Friday, March 14, 2025, south of Langston, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
A wildfire burns a home down on Friday, March 14, 2025, south of Langston, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Mark Nelson, of Wis., waits with his tractor-trailer after it overturned during high winds and a possible tornado on Interstate 44 westbound at Villa Ridge, Mo., Friday, March 14, 2025. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A vehicle sits in front of a damaged home and debris from a severe storm Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Debris from a severe storm is scattered outside a damaged home Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
This image provided by shows aerials over the damage caused by the wildfires in Logan County, Okla. (KOCO via AP)
People work through the debris of the Cave City Auto Parts store on Saturday, March 15, 2025 after a severe weather storm Friday night in Cave City, Ark. (Staci Vandagriff/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Tim Scott, right, gets a hug from friend Jorden Harris outside Scott's home he was inside when it was destroyed during a severe storm the evening before Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
