Eastern states rocked by devastating Memorial Day weekend weather as Texas braces for more storms

Communities from Texas to New York were picking up the pieces Tuesday after a devastating holiday weekend brought tornadoes, storms and heavy rain that killed at least 24 people and left hundreds of thousands without power.

And this period of severe weather is still not over for Texas, which could experience violent and destructive storms until Tuesday.

National Weather Service offices in Kentucky and Arkansas sent teams to inspect the wreckage. They found damage consistent with tornadoes of EF3 strength — the third highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale that measures tornado intensity, consistent with winds of up to 165 mph.

The Paducah, Ky., office said it was consulting with internal experts to determine whether the tornado should be classified as an EF4, the second highest classification, used when winds are between 166 and 200 mph.

Drone camera footage showed the extent of storm damage in Paragould, Arkansas, where homes lost their roofs and some structures were almost completely demolished.

The Weather Service’s Damage Survey Team in Louisville, Kentucky, confirmed that two EF1 tornadoes touched down Sunday, with winds reaching 90 mph.

Although some power lines were repaired, more than 200,000 energy customers were without power in Texas and the Midwest, with 82,000 connections lost in Kentucky, according to PowerOutage.us.

There were ground stops at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport Tuesday morning.

A layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport added to travel chaos over the holiday weekend, with airport delays topping 5,000 at one point Sunday evening, according to the so-called Misery Map from FlightAware.com.

The Transportation Security Administration said Friday was the busiest day on record at U.S. airports, with 3 million passengers screened, surpassing the mark set on Thanksgiving last year. AAA also estimated that some 38 million drivers hit the road over the weekend, also a record.

Memorial Day brought heavy downpours with very little visibility to Iowa, videos on social media show. Hailstones the size of golf balls could be seen hitting vehicles in Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas, Texas.

Texas is bracing for “strong to severe” storms expected Tuesday across much of the state, likely to bring significant damaging winds and large hail, the weather service said in a statement. At least 25 million people, including some in Oklahoma, are under some form of weather warning.

“Merged cells and storm clusters are also likely to contain intense precipitation rates capable of triggering multiple flash floods, particularly in areas just west of Dallas-Fort Worth and north of Austin,” the report says.

Thunderstorms and flash flooding could become a danger from the Texas Panhandle to the Gulf Coast, the agency memo said.

A hailstorm Monday was so strong in Hurst, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, that it shattered the roof of a Walmart store, prompting shoppers to use nearby products to save themselves. shelter, according to videos posted on Instagram.

The extreme heat that saw much of Texas and the Gulf Coast reach triple-digit temperatures over the past few days is finally easing, but the index – a measure of how hot it feels – could still reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit Tuesday, weather permitting. said the service.

Authorities and neighbors in Jackson County, Colorado, where rancher Mike Morgan and 34 cattle were killed by lightning Monday, said they would miss him “extremely.”

“It’s not just about family. It’s about the broader Jackson County community,” breeder Janie Vanwinkle told NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver.

For the rest of the week and beyond, early signs are emerging that this historic and eventful tornado season – there were 461 reports of tornadoes in May alone – may be easing.