After deadly Oklahoma tornado, storms bring twisters to the Midwest

DETROIT (AP) — Severe storms battered the Midwest on Tuesday, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes throughout the region a day after a deadly twister ripped through a small Oklahoma town and killed at least one person.

Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters warned that the storms could stretch late into the night with the possibility of more twisters and large hail.

In southwestern Michigan, two tornadoes blitzed the city of Portage near Kalamazoo. The city said in a news release that no serious injuries had been reported despite the twisters severely damaging homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility.

An estimated 50 people were trapped inside the facility at one point because of downed power lines, authorities said. But FedEx spokesperson Shannon Davis said late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”

Meanwhile, entire homes were destroyed in a nearby mobile home park.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has cited more than a dozen reports of tornadoes from Monday evening through early Tuesday in the central part of the United States. Eight of the twisters were in Oklahoma, while Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Tennessee all saw at least one tornado.

The powerful storms come amid a wild swing in severe weather across the globe that includes some of the worst-ever flooding in Brazil and a brutal Asian heat wave.

The deadly tornado that touched down Monday night in Oklahoma ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa. The National Weather Service there had warned Monday evening that “a large and life-threatening tornado” was headed toward Barnsdall and the nearby town of Bartlesville.

It was the second tornado to hit Barnsdall in five weeks — a twister on April 1 with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles.

Barnsdall Mayor Johnny Kelley said one person was dead while one man was missing after Monday's twister. Authorities launched a secondary search Tuesday morning for the missing man.

“The toughest thing on me as the mayor is this is a small community,” Kelley said. “I know 75% to 80% of the people in this town.”

At least 30 to 40 homes in the Barnsdall area were damaged Monday night, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Aerial videos showed several well-built homes reduced to piles of rubble and others with roofs torn off and damaged walls still standing. The powerful twister tossed vehicles, downed power lines and stripped limbs and bark from trees across the town. A 160-acre (65-hectare) wax manufacturing facility in the community also sustained heavy damage.

First responders rescued about 25 people, including children, from heavily damaged homes where buildings had collapsed on or around them, Kelley said. About a half dozen people suffered injuries, he said.

The Barnsdall Nursing Home said it evacuated residents because a gas leak could not be turned off due to storm damage. It later posted online that all residents were accounted for with no injuries, and they were being taken to other facilities.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who toured the twister's damage on Tuesday, said it was rated by weather researchers as a violent tornado with wind speeds up to 200 mph (322 kph). Stitt said he and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside $45 million in this year's budget to help storm-damaged communities.

“Oklahomans are resilient," Stitt said, "and we're going to rebuild.”

At the Hampton Inn in Bartlesville, several splintered 2x4s were driven into the south side of the building. Chunks of insulation, twisted metal and other debris were scattered over the hotel’s lawn, and vehicles in the parking lot were heavily damaged with smashed-out windows.

Matthew Macedo, who was staying at the hotel, said he was ushered into the hotel laundry room to wait out the storm.

“When the impact occurred, it was incredibly sudden," he said.

The storms tore through Oklahoma as areas, including Sulphur and Holdenville, were still recovering from a tornado that killed four and left thousands without power late last month. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.

Oklahoma and Kansas had been under a high-risk weather warning Monday. The last time such a warning was issued was March 31, 2023, when a massive storm system tore through parts of the South and Midwest including Arkansas, Illinois and rural Indiana.

Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including Rio Yamat, Sarah Brumfield, Kathy McCormack, Beatrice Dupuy, Jim Salter, Heather Hollingsworth and Colleen Slevin.

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Debris litters the ground near a damaged building after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Buildings appear damaged after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Police and rescue personnel work at the scene after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Debris litters the ground near damaged buildings after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

FedEx trucks sit outside a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are pictured, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Carl Kelley and Jon Reynolds search through Kelley's mother's home after it was damaged by a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People look through a damaged property after powerful storms hit the area, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People check a storm damaged home at sunrise Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Paden Fincher looks to salvage items from what's left of his sister's home following a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. Fincher said his sister, her husband and their 3 children rode the storm out in the home. He said his sister was in surgery, but said she was going to be ok. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Carl Kelley and Jon Reynolds search through Kelley's mother's home after it was damaged by a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

A woman walks around debris and damage caused by powerful storms, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Tim and Joy King looks at their house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Brian Yazzie helps clean his mother's home after it was damaged by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Joy King, left, and her granddaughter Crystal Maxey hug in front of King's house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. The two were looking for King's cats and salvaging what items they could. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Oklahoma State Highway Patrol troopers search storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

A tornado spins west of Hawley, Texas, as cars pass on U.S. 277 on Thursday May 2, 2024. (Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News via AP)

A mailbox is partially submerged on a flooded street in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Sunday morning, May 5, 2024. The nearby San Jacinto River, overflowing due to heavy rainfall earlier this week, caused the flood waters. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

Clouds amass over power lines follow days of storms on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Humble, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia reported some 60 drones and several missiles shot down over its territory overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine in turn saying it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. Russia’s renewed offensive continues to play out in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast.

Russian air defenses shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over its southern Krasnodar region overnight Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday morning.

Local military officials said drone debris hit an oil refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but there was no fire or damage. Local news outlet Astra published videos appearing to show an explosion at the refinery as it was hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.

Nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, following Friday morning’s massive Ukrainian drone attack that cut off power in the city of Sevastopol.

A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. According to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, a church roof was set on fire by falling drone debris, but there were no casualties.

The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's partially occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said that one person died and 16 were wounded when a Ukrainian drone hit a minibus on Sunday morning.

In Ukraine, air force officials said air defense shot down all 37 Russian drones launched against the country overnight.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday morning that one person died and 11 were wounded as a result of shelling over the previous day.

Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a visit to China that Moscow’s offensive in the Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.

——

Morton reported from London.

——

Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov during their meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian police officers look for fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian police officer and war crime prosecutor inspect fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house, after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)