Residents survey damage left by storms in U.S. South : NPR

Residents in large swaths of the southern U.S. on Sunday took stock of the devastation left in the wake of tornadoes, strong winds and dust storms over the weekend.

The severe weather left at least 37 people dead, and destroyed scores of homes.

This bout of storms was forecast to clear the East Coast by Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.

In Missouri, where 12 people died, first responders and road crews worked to clear debris, restore power to homes, and distribute recovery supplies.

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office said Sunday that hundreds of homes, schools and businesses were destroyed of severely damaged, with some burned from wildfires aggravated by high winds.

“The scale of devastation across our state is staggering,” Gov. Kehoe said. “While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action.”

In Butler County, a man was killed after a tornado ripped through his home. Coroner Jim Akers told the AP that the twister left his home “unrecognizable” with “just a debris field.”

Hurricane force winds in Oklahoma, fueled deadly wildfires and dust storms. Residents there spent Saturday surveying fire damage, after more than 170,000 acres burned.

By Sunday afternoon, an early assessment from local officials identified more than 400 homes damaged statewide. Four people died and 142 others were injured due to the fires and winds, officials said.

Cheryl Rabet of Stillwater lost her home in the blazes, as well as two RVs she rented out, reported KOSU’s Lionel Ramos.

“We didn’t have a chance to grab anything,” she said, including their 16-year-old cat Momo. “We grabbed one of our cats and that was about it.”

The Red Cross and other relief efforts have been providing food and other resources for shelters across parts of Oklahoma and other affected regions.

Brady Moore, Stillwater city manager, warned that it may still be unsafe for residents to return to neighborhoods in the path of destruction, while crews work to repair downed powerlines and shut off water and gas lines.

Damage assessments in the majority of Alabama counties continued on Sunday, said Gov. Kay Ivey. Three people died in the state, she said.

In Troy, Ala., where a tornado flipped an 18-wheeler truck, about 200 people took shelter at a recreation center, reported local CBS station WAKA News.

“Right as the last people got in, the storm passed over, blowing out windows in cars in the parking lot, and tearing off part of the gymnasium roof,” said Dan Smith, the director of the city’s parks and recreation department. “Our sports complex, including the baseball and softball park, also suffered major damage. But we’re very fortunate—it could’ve been a lot worse.”

There were no injuries.

In Texas on Sunday, fire crews were battling a 9,500-acres blaze in Fredericksburg, in central Texas. The grass fire was more than half contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Across the state, more than 42,000 acres were burning from 36 fires on Sunday night, the service said.

The threat of fires was expected to continue into the week, with a red flag warning – signaling a high risk of wildfire conditions — was expected to be reinstated for South Central Texas on Monday, as Texas Public Radio reported.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that the state was granted federal assistance to help fight the fires.

“Texas is working around the clock to provide all necessary resources to local officials fighting wildfires in Gray and Gillespie counties,” he said.