Storms and tornados hit US again

Another wave of storms swept through the US states of Texas and Oklahoma yesterday, spawning at least three tornadoes and heavy rain.

The storms come just days after dozens of tornadoes swept from the Rockies to the Plains, killing at least four people in three states.

As the slow-moving thunderstorms moved into Oklahoma, more than three inches of rain fell.

Authorities issued flash flood warnings in 10 counties in the southern and central parts of the state.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol sent its dive team to an accident site where a car plunged into the Illinois River, and there were numerous other crashes, Captain Chris West said.

No deaths were reported. “It’s definitely played havoc on our traffic,” West said.

The most significant problem was proving to be flash flooding, said National Weather Service meteorologist Forrest Mitchell in Norman, Oklahoma.

“That’s been the main weather feature today,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had a lot of rain. We certainly need the moisture, but some areas have received so much rain today and that has led to localised flash flooding.”