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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Antony Thrower

Killer tornadoes rip through United States, destroying hundreds of homes and a school

At least two people were killed and dozens injured when a number of tornadoes tore through the USA, with one father hiding with his infant son inside a bathtub.

McCurtain County, Oklahoma, bore the brunt of the extreme weather which also brought flash flooding in some places.

Governor Kevin Stitt toured the town of Idabel on Saturday morning in the wake of the tornadoes overnight.

He tweeted: “Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today's tornadoes.”

He said on social media that all the homes had been searched and a 90-year-old man was killed.

Keli Cain, spokesperson for the state's Department of Emergency Management, said the man's body was found at his home in the Pickens area of McCurtain County, about 36 miles (58 kilometers) north of Idabel.

Cain added: “There's a lot of damage. There are well over 100 homes and businesses damaged from minor damage to totally destroyed."

A church, medical centre and a school were torn apart in the small town of around 7,000 people where hundreds of homes were also destroyed.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also reported a 6-year-old girl drowned and a 43-year-old man was missing after their vehicle was swept by water off a bridge near Stilwell, about 135 miles (217 kilometers) north of Idabel. The drowning has not been officially attributed to the storm and will be investigated by the medical examiner, Cain said.

Fred Davis wipes away a tear as he looks at his home (LM Otero/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

The National Weather Service said tornadoes also were reported in Texas and Arkansas and a storm system was heading toward Louisiana.

In Texas, Judge Doug Reeder said in a social media post that one person died as a result of a tornado in the far northeastern Morris County, offering no other details.

Authorities in Lamar County said at least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed and 10 people were treated at one hospital, including two with critical injuries.

At least one person was killed in the destruction (LM Otero/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Terimaine Davis and his son were huddled in the bathtub until just before the tornado barrelled through Friday, reducing their home in the town of Powderly to a roofless, sagging heap.

The 33-year-old said: “We left like five minutes before the tornado actually hit.

"Me and my son were in the house in the tub and that was about the only thing left standing."

Judge Brandon Bell, the county's highest elected official, declared a disaster in the area, a step in getting federal assistance and funding. Bell's declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county.

Another damaged home in Texas (LM Otero/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Last month a tornado ripping along the Florida coast was caught on camera.

The footage showed the twister making landfall on a beach in Fort Lauderdale as the swirling winds send sand and umbrellas flying into the sky as sunbathers watch on.

Matt Devitt, Chief Meteorologist at WINK News, tweeted out the footage, saying: "Waterspout pushed onshore today in Fort Lauderdale by the Plunge Beach Resort...hurling sand and umbrellas into the air before weakening."

Another short clip shared on Twitter showed the twister speeding across the ocean's surface in Fort Lauderdale.

The waterspout presumably formed just before barrelling toward the beach and becoming a terrifying beach tornado.

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