tornadoes

Destructive tornadoes have hit states such as Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana this season as activity shifts east. Meanwhile, scientists say dry and hot weather in the Great Plains brought on by climate change could be slowing the number of tornadoes there.

Powerful storms and tornadoes tore through Midwestern and Southern states overnight Friday, leaving carnage and flattened buildings in their wake.

Scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) created a device designed to improve the accuracy of weather events.

A Dollar Tree Distribution Center in southern Oklahoma will reopen after a tornado ripped through it last spring. About 450 people were employed at the center and the new facility is expected to bring about 400 jobs back.

Additional heavy rain is expected across the Plains this week. With streams already swollen and the ground saturated, that leaves the area at risk of additional flooding.

As wildfires continue to rage across Oklahoma, President Donald Trump approved federal aid Thursday to help the state rebuild from tornadoes that hit last November. State lawmakers planned for this eventuality last spring.

Employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Norman were informed of the layoffs Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said a transition from El Niño to a neutral phase likely created conditions for more storms.

Storm debris cleanup from the Nov. 3 tornadoes began Monday for southeast Oklahoma City residents.

After Sunday’s early-morning tornadoes destroyed 50 buildings in Oklahoma City and damaged nearly 130 more, the city has opened two resource centers to help affected residents get back on their feet.