A line of deadly thunderstorms is moving across the South Central states on Monday, killing at least one person and injuring others, emergency officials said on Monday. The storm system has put 36 million people at risk of seeing hurricane force winds (at least 74 miles per hour) and possible tornadoes, from southern Illinois to the Gulf Coast.
The storms destroyed a home near Ashdown, about 150 miles southwest of Little Rock, but it wasn't immediately known whether the damage was caused by powerful winds or a pop-up tornado, said Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Rick Fahr. The storm downed trees in western Arkansas and left about 5,800 homes and businesses without power Monday morning in the state.
Here is another pic coming in from Ashdown, AR of a car upside down. Possible tornado hit the area this morning. pic.twitter.com/r2RZjYRCP0— Adria Goins (@Adria_Goins) October 13, 2014
CONFIRMED: One dead in possible tornado that hit Ashdown, AR area. Here is a pic from the path of the storm pic.twitter.com/roiFgZdBij— Adria Goins (@Adria_Goins) October 13, 2014
We're on our way to Ashdown, AR where a storm killed one and injured 3 this morning. http://t.co/uk3sC0yLes pic.twitter.com/ss9JEFMVe7— Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) October 13, 2014
The Storm Prediction Center estimated that more than 36 million people are in the path of damaging winds, possible tornadoes and heavy rainfall Monday, with the greatest risk for severe weather along the Mississippi River from extreme southern Illinois to northern Louisiana. Cities at risk for the nasty weather include Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Houston; Indianapolis; New Orleans and St. Louis.
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/modrisk.jpg" caption="Convective outlook from the storm prediction center, showing a "moderate risk" of severe weather on Monday." credit="NOAA" alt="modrisk"]
The storms, triggered by a powerful cold front and a disturbance in the upper levels of the atmosphere that is providing the wind shear necessary for tornadoes, are moving in a north-south line known as a squall line. Along this line are individual thunderstorms that are producing straight-line wind damage as well as tornadoes. Computer model projections show this line spreading eastward into the evening hours, as the storm threat migrates into western Tennessee and Kentucky, among other areas.
Widespread flash flooding is also expected in many areas as the storms dump heavy rainfall in a short period of time.
Bounce house blows away, seriously hurting two kids http://t.co/oOLx2JgFx9 #kait8 pic.twitter.com/9NgsbbMFV6— Region 8 News (@Region8News) October 13, 2014
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Trees are down everywhere... All hell broke loose on campus pic.twitter.com/OP6syVVAhi— ☯Hogan☯ (@Mr_Arey) October 13, 2014
Damaging winds knocked out electricity and overturned trucks on Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma as powerful thunderstorms came through the state. Thousands of homes and businesses have lost electricity as thunderstorms soaked parts of North Texas. Damage reports have also been streaming in from Louisiana, where tornado warnings were issued.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press