Over a third of Texas counties are under a disaster declaration

More than a third of Texas counties are under disaster declarations after extreme weather battered much of the state Saturday night and into Sunday.

Severe weather, including multiple tornadoes, hit across the central United States, killing at least 18 people.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had issued disaster declarations for 108 counties across the state as of Sunday. He said the storm killed at least seven people, four of them children, and injured more than 100 others.

“We have experienced a heart-rending loss of life, including the heartbreak of a family who lost a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old,” Abbott said. “When I woke up yesterday, I never imagined my family would be literally crushed by this terrible storm.”

Governor Abbott spoke from outside the remains of a gas station in Valley View, north of Dallas, which was completely destroyed by the tornado.

“I saw the horrific footage inside the Valley View gas station as the tornado passed through, with people huddled inside trying to stay safe,” Governor Abbott said, calling it a “miracle” that no one was killed there.

National Weather Service Said Initial damage analysis indicated that “multiple tornadoes” touched down in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, including at least two EF-2 tornadoes and a “maximum” EF-3 tornado.

The latest storms come on the heels of a deadly tornado season in the United States so far this year, with officials saying dangerous tornadoes ripped through Iowa last week, killing five people and injuring 35.

The storm system on Sunday moved northeastward through the evening, producing a tornado near St. Louis and triggering tornado watches in parts of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. As of Sunday evening, more than 7 million Americans were under tornado watches.

Of the 18 deaths, eight are in Arkansas, seven in Texas, two in Oklahoma and one in Kentucky.

President Biden offered condolences to the storm’s victims on Sunday night.

“Jill and I are praying for those who tragically lost their lives to the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, destroying entire communities and leaving a trail of destruction,” Biden said in a statement.

“This comes as communities across the Midwest and South continue to suffer from deadly storms and severe weather,” he added, pledging to send federal disaster relief to the region.

The home game between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals was postponed due to weather on Sunday after a video showing the Cardinals’ dugout steps went viral. Turns into a waterfall Due to unusually heavy rainfall.