Owasso tornado part of massive central US storm: See photos of severe weather damage
Several states in the central U.S. were hit hard overnight by a deadly storm that reportedly caused flash flooding and even destructive tornadoes.
More than a dozen twisters ripped across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri overnight Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, leaving at least three people dead and several others injured.
A tornado also hit the Oklahoma city of Owasso on Wednesday, damaging buildings, topping utility poles, and uprooting trees. The path of destruction stretched about 11 miles in the city outside Tulsa. The National Weather Service survey team described it as a "high-end EF1" tornado, with winds estimated at reaching 100-110 mph.
But officials are only beginning to account for the tolls wrought by the powerful storm, which continues to pose a threat Thursday morning.
The destruction came after dozens of tornado watches and warnings were in effect Wednesday night from northeastern Texas to Ohio, including Indianapolis. The storm caused baseball-sized hail to fall across Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee, prompted delays at major airports from Chicago to Dallas and left hundreds of thousands of homes without power.
What's more, the threat is far from over, as 30 million people from Texas to Ohio were still at risk Thursday of powerful tornadoes and major flooding. As of Thursday morning, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee were all still under state of emergency declarations.
Here's a look at photos of the destruction:
Storm updates: Deadly storms with 'catastrophic' rainfall roar across US
See photos of damage after storm hits central US
