Storms blasted throughout the United States from the Southern Plains to the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2025, killing at least three people in Oklahoma. The system produced at least 22 tornadoes across six states, generated flash floods, and left over 70,000 consumers without electricity.
A major spring storm system swept from the Southern Plains to the Upper Midwest over Easter weekend, April 19-20, causing severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flooding across vast parts of the central United States and killing at least three people. The system impacted several states, including Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa.
A tornado struck the village of Spaulding in Hughes County around 22:35 local time (LT) on Saturday, killing one person and injuring two more. Emergency management experts have cautioned that the number of injured may increase as damage assessments continue.
According to Hughes County Emergency Management, it received a preliminary EF-1 classification and winds of 170-177 km/h (105-110 mph). It destroyed two homes and damaged many smaller structures and trees along its 3 km (2 miles) route.
A 44-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son were killed in Moore on Saturday night when floodwaters washed their vehicle under a bridge. Moore Police Department officers responded to reports of two vehicles stuck by floodwaters at 21:00 LT. The officers managed to rescue the passengers in the other vehicle, but they were unable to recover the woman and her son in time.
The storms were described as a “historic weather” event by police, who reported responding to dozens of stranded vehicles during the flooding on Saturday.
The Spaulding tornado and ensuing flooding were part of a bigger weather system that produced 22 tornadoes in six states on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday. Thunderstorms linked with this system produced severe rainfall in most of the region, resulting in many flash floods across the central United States.
According to PowerOutage.us, the storms knocked out power to more than 70,000 customers in Oklahoma and Texas. Several counties declared disasters, and emergency teams worked throughout the weekend to clear debris, conduct rescues, and restore infrastructure.
A tornado struck Lonoke, Arkansas, on Sunday, damaging several homes along State Highway 319. Just the day before, the system had unleashed multiple tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma, causing severe damage and power outages throughout the region.
By late Sunday, the storm had moved into the Upper Midwest, bringing severe gusts and heavy rain to regions of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. There were no confirmed tornadoes in these places; however, local flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorm alerts were issued.
