At least 25 dead in US tornado and flooding

At least 25 people have died in tornados and severe flooding in the southern United States with more severe weather expected across the central US.

At least eight people were killed as tornados struck parts of northern Texas, leaving much of the region in the dark, local officials and media reported.

A tornado touched down at around 6:45 pm (00:45 Irish time) in Garland, Texas, part of the vast Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, city officials said in a statement.

"Five deaths have been confirmed," read the Garland statement. "Extensive damage has been reported to vehicles, homes, and apartments in the same area."

The deaths are "believed to be related to vehicles struck by the tornado," the statement read, adding that there was also an unconfirmed number of injuries.

The tornados - residents say at least four of them - ripped off power cables and knocked over pylons, leaving some 50,000 people in the dark, the Dallas Morning News reported.

At least 17 people have died in fierce storms and floods in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.

With more severe weather expected across the central United States, forecasters are warning of airport delays and flooded roads as travelers return home after the Christmas holiday.
  rte.ie
27/12/15
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