Following tornadoes and strong winds that tore through many states over the weekend, killing at least 37 people, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard in tornado-ravaged Arkansas on Sunday.
On Saturday, tornadoes threatened Missouri, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma as strong winds ripped through the Heartland, causing damage to houses and structures. Blizzard warnings were issued for northern states, such as Minnesota and South Dakota.
“We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest — 36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated,” Trump wrote on X on Sunday.
“The National Guard have been deployed to Arkansas, and my Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage. Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!” according to the president’s statement.
Arkansas officers will “support civilian authorities providing security and humanitarian assistance in communities affected by tornadoes in central and eastern Arkansas,” according to a tweet from the National Guard.
Here are the current state-by-state death tolls:
| State | Number of Deaths |
| Alabama | 3 |
| Arkansas | 3 |
| Mississippi | 6 |
| Missouri | 12 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Texas | 4 |
| Kansas | 8 |
About 40 state police officers and 50 National Guard members were on the ground in Arkansas on Sunday, according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Trump’s New Tax Plan: Americans Earning Less Than $150K Will Be Tax-Free
“As you drive through this community, you see so many neighbors coming out, taking care of each other,” she stated in a video posted to X. “One of the things that will make you so proud as a governor is to see neighbors helping neighbors, and never is that more true than right here in this community today. We’ve got about 40 state police on the ground in the county, about 50 National Guard.”
Sanders said in a post on X that she had a phone conversation with Trump, who “said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes.”
At Least 39 Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through Areas, Leaving Widespread Damage
Dakota Henderson, a resident of Missouri, told The Associated Press that he and a few others discovered five bodies while rescuing neighbors who were buried under debris on Friday night.
Henderson said on Saturday, “It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night.”
Some areas in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico were ordered to evacuate on Friday.
In addition to the potential for severe storms and tornadoes in eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, middle Tennessee, western North Carolina and South Carolina, and the western Florida Panhandle, strong winds also fueled wildfires in the Southern Plains.
