Severe thunderstorms hammered the Central U.S. on Wednesday evening for yet another day, with a large tornado passing just north of Joplin, Missouri, 8 years to the day since a disastrous twister there killed 161 people.
The big picture: Doppler radar imagery detected debris lofted thousands of feet into the air from the large tornado that struck near Joplin as it traveled through small cities and towns including Carl Junction and Oronogo, Missouri. The full toll from this long-lasting tornado may not be known until Thursday morning. However, the severe storms stretched for hundreds of miles, affecting millions from Oklahoma to Illinois.
Areas from Oklahoma City northeast to central Illinois were placed under tornado watches through much of the night, including some labeled "Particularly Dangerous Situation" watches, indicating a heightened risk of life-threatening severe weather.
- Since Tuesday alone, there have been at least 60 tornado reports.
The threat: The risk of tornadoes, flash flooding and severe thunderstorms will continue throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday morning as a frontal boundary remains draped across the nation's midsection, with weather disturbances rippling along it helping to spark rounds of storms. In eastern Oklahoma, 2 barges broke loose Wednesday night on the flooded Arkansas River, per AP.
Record rainfall has fallen in much of the Central U.S. this spring, with more than a foot in some places in the past few days, causing dangerous flooding to occur. Numerous evacuations were reportedly underway in Oklahoma, Kansas and nearby states due to rising waters, per weather.com.
Video posted by Regional Entertainment News appears to show some building damage, along with downed power lines and trees at Carl Junction, about 10 miles north of Joplin.
Witnesses shared images of the moment the tornado swept through the region.
