Midwest braced for more severe weather with warnings of 'record levels' of flooding just days after tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma and Missouri
- Flash flood watches in effect in parts of Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota
- Illinois and Nebraska also on high alert for flooding as is northeastern Kansas
- Two bridges over the Arkansas River closed and emergency funding granted
- It comes just days after tornadoes killed six in Oklahoma and seven in Missouri
The Midwest is braced for more severe weather with 'record levels' of flooding expected over the next few days.
The warnings come just days after six people were killed and 29 injured in Oklahoma and seven people died in Missouri after tornadoes struck on Friday and Saturday.
Among the dead included an elderly couple who were sucked out of their mobile home in Golden City, Oklahoma, and hurled 600ft in the air.
Tornadoes slammed into Dayton, Ohio, last night and others tore across Indiana this morning, leaving a trail of devastation.
At least two other tornadoes touched down near Dayton, including one near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just east of Dayton, local media reported.
The latest storm comes after tornadoes and floods killed at least six people in Oklahoma over the weekend, including two people in El Reno, near the state capital, on Saturday.
The extent of injuries and damage in Ohio is not clear at this stage.
Homes were left flooded near the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday. The state, along with others in the Midwest, are braced for more torrential rain and storms
A large tree crashed through the roof of a home near Newton and St. Louis Avenue in Tulsa. A man was rescued from inside the building
On Monday evening there were flash flood watches in effect in parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois and Nebraska.
Severe thunderstorm warning were in effect in Nebraska and northeastern Kansas, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
More than 100 tornadoes were reported across eight states including Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Maryland and Illinois from last Monday to Thursday.
In response to the flood watches, the Department of Transportation closed two bridges over the Arkansas River in Fort Smith.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson granted $100,000 of emergency funding in response to flood warnings.
A statement from the governor's office said the flooding 'is expected to reach record levels throughout the state in the coming week'.
Governor Hutchinson said: 'This morning, the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, and Arkansas State Police provided me with a detailed briefing about the state's ongoing support efforts in communities experiencing record flood levels along the Arkansas River.
A car becoming stranded in high water after rain flooded the street after storms near 43rd and S. Sheridan in Tulsa
Tornado damage across homes in Jefferson City, Missouri. More than 100 tornadoes were reported across eight states in three days - including Missouri
'I have received a number of requests for aid from communities, and I immediately approved the release of $100,000 of emergency funds to support sandbagging work.
'I appreciate all the neighbors and volunteers filling sandbags and assisting with evacuations. The state team is continuing to respond to assistance requests, and more funds will be allocated as the situation demands.'
The National Weather Service said multiple tornadoes were reported in the Dayton area between 11pm Monday and 1am Tuesday.
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Seven people were reported injured in the storm in Pendleton, Indiana, on Monday, about 100 miles west of Dayton, according to media reports, including CNN. More damage was reported in Celina, Ohio, about 78 miles north of Dayton.
Flooded areas of Arkansas and Oklahoma were bracing for more rain that will feed the already swollen Arkansas River, forecasters said on Monday.
An aerial image showing the Arkansas River with the Tulsa skyline after severe flooding and torrential rain last Thursday
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri have all activated National Guard units to respond to the storms.
Early on Tuesday, President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, and for those who suffered from storm damage in Oklahoma. Trump promised support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Trump wrote on Twitter: 'Told him that @fema and the federal government are fully behind him and the great people of Oklahoma.'
Millions of Americans were under flood warnings on the Memorial Day holiday. Deluges hit Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois.
In Tulsa, officials were monitoring the Arkansas River after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised the flow at the upriver Keystone Dam by 65 per cent since last week to 275,000 cubic feet per second. The heavier flow is testing two aging levees in Tulsa, the city said.
In Missouri, tornadoes and severe storms killed three people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes last week.
