Volatile Storms Throughout the Midwest, Plains, Mississippi Valley and Deep South … Two Killed by Tornado in Quapaw, Oklahoma (Update: 10 Dead in Arkansas)(Update: Death Toll Rises to 18)

TERRIBLE WEATHER HITS THE HEARTLAND … BE CAREFUL, TAKE SHELTER, BE SAFE.

A tornado killed two people in the small northeastern Oklahoma town of Quapaw on Sunday.  The deadly tornado struck Quapaw, which is near Oklahoma’s borders with Kansas and Missouri, at around 5:30 p.m. Six people were treated at the emergency room at Integris Baptist Regional Health Center in nearby Miami after the storm. There are reports that several homes have been hit in that community.

A tornado also has caused “significant” damage in Baxter Springs, Kan., according to Gary Allen, a former Baxter Springs council member who also worked for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department. He said the tornado came into the city from the southwest and cut diagonally through the community. “There is significant damage to a lot of houses,” he said.

Sunday was the third anniversary of a 226-tornado day, which struck parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia and killed 316 people.

More video from CNN of tornadoes that touched down near Baxter Springs.

UPDATE I: Tornado on the ground in Linn County, Kansas.

Officials in the southeast Kansas town of Baxter Springs report several people injured by a tornado that also caused extensive property damage.

About 75 miles north, Linn County emergency manager Douglas Barlet said some barns and outbuildings were destroyed but no one was injured when at least one tornado struck late Sunday afternoon near the Missouri border.

UPDATE II: The risk of tornadoes continues on Monday and Tuesday, although the likelihood of strong twisters gradually lessens, according to forecasters. On Tuesday, however, the tornado risk moves as far east as the Carolinas and the western part of the Florida Panhandle, according to Weather.com.

UPDATE III: Twisters kill at least 10 in Arkansas.

Fierce storms spawned deadly tornadoes across the south and central U.S. on Sunday, leaving at least 10 dead in Arkansas and leaving a long trail of debris.

Sheriff Andy Shock of Faulkner County, Ark., said at least six people in the county were killed, KTHV-TV in Little Rock reported. “It’s just devastating,” Shock said, adding that he expects the number to rise.

Brandon Morris with the state Department of Emergency Management said one person is confirmed dead in White County, Ark., the television station reported. The twister carved a 30-mile trail of damage, and tens of thousands in central Arkansas were without power.

Video from CNN affiliate KARK showed a decimated building in Mayflower, AR surrounded by scattered debris and emergency vehicles.

Tornadoes tore through several states Sunday evening as severe weather slammed into parts of the central United States.

Authorities confirmed at least nine fatalities: eight in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma.

Damage is “widespread” after a tornado hit Mayflower, Arkansas, and there are numerous reports of injuries, said Matt DeCample, a spokesman for the state’s governor.

VIDEO of tornado in Mayflower/Vilonia, AR from car view

Tornado destruction in Mayflower, AR

Drone aerial view of damage and destruction in Mayflower, AR

UPDATE IV: Monday and Tuesday Forecast from The Weather Channel.

Monday

Threat area: Severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak continues in the regions illustrated in red within the inset map (right). This includes parts of the Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and the South.    Hazards: Damaging winds, large hail and multiple tornadoes possible. Some tornadoes could be strong (EF2 or higher rating). Excessive rainfall could trigger flash flooding.Maximum TOR:CON: 7 in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.Cities: Memphis, Tenn. | Nashville, Tenn. | Jackson, Miss. | Birmingham, Ala. | Louisville, Ky.

Tuesday

Threat area: Severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak possible in the regions illustrated in red within the inset map (right). This includes locations from the South to the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes.
Hazards:  Damaging wind gusts, large hail and tornadoes possible. In addition, heavy rainfall could trigger flash flooding.
Maximum TOR:CON: 5 in parts of the Southeast
Cities: Atlanta | Nashville | Birmingham, Ala. | Louisville, Ky

UPDATE V: Death Toll at least 18 as Tornadoes pummel Plains, Midwest, and South.

At least 18 people were killed Sunday by three separate tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system that moved through the central and southern United States.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management confirmed early Monday that at least sixteen people had died after a tornado tore through central Arkansas, while an Oklahoma county sheriff’s dispatcher reported that one person had died in the town of Quapaw, near the state’s borders with Kansas and Missouri. Fox News has also confirmed that one person died when a tornado hit Keokuk County, Iowa.