Blinding Dust Storms to Blizzards: Powerful Storms Bring Death and Destruction in US

While the Southwest battled blinding dust storms, the Midwest experienced blizzards with whiteout conditions amid fears of wildfires elsewhere, on account of the large storm system, the report said.

A tornado with winds up to 110 mph (177 kph) hit Irving in Texas, while another touched down in the city of Ada in Oklahoma, AP reported, citing preliminary information from the National Weather Service.

Two tornadoes were also seen circling Louisiana’s northern Caddo Parish with reports of at least five such witnessed in eastern Oklahoma.

The unstable weather could pose serious challenges for the National Weather Service following mass firings of forecasters as part of President Donald Trump’s moves to cut the size of the federal government workforce.

Former employees of the National Weather Service told the agency that the recent spate of sackings could put lives at risk, although they were yet to ascertain the impact on forecasts and warnings for this storm.

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