Floods and tornadoes that started on Christmas Day killed at least 41 people in southern and central U.S. states, destroying buildings and snarling vehicular traffic during a busy holiday travelling season, officials said.
According to Reuters, at least 11 people were killed in Dallas over the weekend by tornadoes, including one packing winds of up to 200 miles per hour (322 km per hour). The twister struck the city of Garland, killing eight people and hurling vehicles off highways.
"A tornado of that strength is very rare in a metropolitan area," National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bishop told Reuters by phone.
The powerful tornado struck at an unusual time since tornadoes usually arrive in spring and summer in central states, according to U.S. weather data.
"It is total devastation," Garland Police spokesman Lieutenant Pedro Barineau said. "It is a very difficult time to be struck by such a horrible storm the day after Christmas."
Three other deaths were reported in the Dallas metropolitan area, the fourth most populous metropolis in the U.S. with about 7 million residents. Scores of people were also injured in the region, officials said.
Three tornadoes were also reported in Arkansas on Sunday.
Residents in Alabama and Mississippi also experienced an extremely rainy Christmas due to a powerful tornado that brought record rainfall to the southeastern American states.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Branda told CNN that as of Saturday 6 a.m., Monroe County in northeast Mississippi has already experienced 10 inches of rainfall, and can expect 2 to 3 more inches of downpour.
The downpour has already inundated many roads and has caused fears among residents about the possibility of their homes being flooded, according to Monroe County sheriff Cecil Cantrell.
"We're just a mess here. It's a really serious situation. We've got all our deputies out. We've got all the fire departments out. I wasn't expecting this." Cantrell said.
"It's raining so hard now you can't see. It's a terrible situation. I hope the good Lord lets it stop raining for a while," the sheriff added.
The weather situation is even more dire in Alabama. At the airport in Gadsden, at least 20 inches of rain were dumped between 7 p.m. Christmas Eve and 3 p.m. on Christmas, triggering flash floods.
Etowah County Emergency Management Director Deborah Gaither advised residents to stay inside their houses and avoid the already flooded roads.
"Right now we are asking citizens to stay in place and try not to travel, especially if it becomes really dark," she said.
State officials are also closely monitoring the Pea River in Elba, which swelled to 39.3 feet as of 9 p.m. on Christmas Day—its highest mark ever based on records from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The river may reach a level as high as 43.5 feet if the downpour continues, officials said.
Fox News reported that 2,800 Alabama Power customers were without power as of Saturday.
The devastation caused by the tornado has prompted Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley to place some counties under a state of emergency to facilitate the delivery of assistance to those affected.
