More than 30 dead across several states from sweeping storms

The last week or so has seen some rather dramatic storms sweep across the country.

On Friday in Texas, dust from West Texas had made its way to the DFW area, creating a brown haze due to severely high winds.

All told, there were are least 34 deaths across six states, and that count is likely to increase as these storms are not letting up.

Crazy Winds

The storm system came in from Canada and saw winds as strong as 80 mph sweep through the country all the way down to Texas.

In some areas, the storm whipped up wintry conditions in the north and severe thunderstorms as it moved south. Tornadoes and dust storms ripped through the Midwest, and the West Coast. Texas is also on alert for the possibility of more wildfires breaking out due to the overly dry conditions.

Arlington Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Durand stated, "No structures at the moment are at risk. We’ve got some grass and some piles of logs and woods that we’re gonna have to spend some time mopping up and getting them completed out so they don’t restart."

Oklahoma has seen dozens of wildfires break out, but thankfully, nobody has died as a result of them. Governor Stitt explained, "Unlike tornadoes, we got everybody evacuated, and so we don't have any reports of any any fatalities from from homes, but the damage is unbelievable." There have been deaths and injuries from the other storms, however, as the state is now reporting four dead and more than 140 people being injured.

These conditions contributed to numerous accidents in this part of the country. For example, in Kansas, there was a 71-car pileup that resulted in at least eight deaths and dozens of injuries.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly stated, “My thoughts are with those affected by this tragic event.”

I have seen numerous pileups on our highways in Texas, with a dust storm causing an accident involving more than three dozen cars.

Sgt. Cindy Barkley of the Texas Department of Public Safety stated, “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen. We couldn’t tell that they were all together until the dust kind of settled.”

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders declared a state of emergency in Arkansas after three people were killed and nearly three dozen more injured.

Sanders had discussed the matter with President Trump, stating, “He said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes.”