Headline Roundup • March 17th, 2025
Severe Storms, Tornadoes Sweep Midwest and Southern US Leaving 42 Dead
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Severe storms and tornadoes swept across the US over the weekend, resulting in at least 42 deaths. The extreme weather impacted the Midwest, South, and parts of the Northeast, with multiple states waking up to damage from dust storms, wildfires, rain, and tornadoes.
The Details: NBC News (Lean Left bias) reported three fatalities each in Alabama and Arkansas, 12 in Missouri, four in Oklahoma, eight in Kansas, six in Mississippi, two in North Carolina, and four in Texas. In addition, a tornado outbreak uprooted trees, tore apart homes and businesses, and downed power lines across seven states — Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. President Donald Trump said the National Guard had been sent to Arkansas.
For Context: At least eight confirmed tornadoes were reported from Friday to Saturday in Mississippi alone, with more likely as surveys continue. The strongest tornado, featuring 190 mph winds, touched down in Jackson County, Arkansas. Texas and Kansas reported dust storms that caused vehicle pile-ups. Oklahoma faced 150 wildfires. Nine states were under flood advisories.
How The Media Covered It: Fox News (Right) highlighted the response to the disaster, leading with Trump's activation of the National Guard in Arkansas. USA Today (Lean Left) and BBC News (Center) also mentioned the National Guard, while NBC News and the Associated Press (Left) did not.
Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission. Updated for clarity on the National Guard's deployment.
Featured Coverage of this Story
The National Guard is being deployed as residents across the United States began to assess the fallout from dozens of tornadoes, wildfires, and dust storms that left at least 42 people dead and hundreds of decimated buildings in their wake over the weekend.
Field crews from weather service offices across the central and eastern U.S. began surveying the damage Sunday after deaths were reported in Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Oklahoma, where almost 300 houses and structures were destroyed by wildfires. As clean-up begins for some, parts of the Central and Southern...
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At least 40 people have died after tornadoes ripped through a swathe of the US Midwest and South.
Missouri bore the brunt of the twisters, which began to spawn on Friday. At least 12 people have died in that state.
Powerful winds in Texas and Kansas whipped up dust storms that resulted in vehicle pile-ups and a dozen deaths.
President Donald Trump on Sunday sent the National Guard to tornado-struck Arkansas after tornadoes and heavy winds ripped through multiple states over the weekend, leaving at least 37 dead.
Heavy winds tore through the Heartland on Saturday, threatening Missouri, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma with tornadoes, damaging buildings and homes. Northern states, including South Dakota and Minnesota, faced blizzard warnings.
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