Tornado warning for Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), parts of Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas are under tornado warnings.

Tornado watches mean conditions are favorable for tornado development and urge people in the area to pay attention for an appropriate warning.

In Missouri, the clocks are active in Butler, Perry, Wayne, Ripley, Bollinger and Carter counties.

In Illinois, the watches are active in several counties, including Sangamon, Peoria, McLean and Tazewell. These are active until Tuesday at 8 a.m. CDT.

Tornado watches are also active in parts of Arkansas and will be in effect until 7 a.m. CDT.

An interactive map shows where tornado shelters can be found in different states in case shelter is needed.

Multiple tornado warnings were issued in the early hours of Tuesday for parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, which were more severe but expired at 5 a.m. CDT.

At least 15 tornadoes were reported to have struck parts of the central United States on Monday, seven of which hit Oklahoma, according to the NWS.

This included a reportedly “mile-wide” tornado that struck parts of the state and caused extensive damage.

On Monday evening, the NWS declared a rare tornado emergency, the highest level of alert, when one of them hit Barnsdall, a town of about 1,000 people.

At least one person has died in Barnsdall and multiple injuries have been reported, Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told local news outlet FOX 23.

He said there was “extensive damage” between Bartlesville and Barnsdall and several homes were torn apart. Photos shared on social media showed neighborhoods full of rubble and fallen trees.

A care home in Barnsdall was also hit, with residents forced to move due to a gas leak.

“Please pray for us,” Barnsdall Nursing Home wrote on social media.

The tornado that hit Barnsdall essentially took “the same path” as one that struck the city earlier this month, Virden said.

The previous tornadoes that struck Oklahoma in late April left at least four people dead and dozens injured.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center said up to 70 million people were at some risk of severe weather through Wednesday.

The central U.S., often referred to as “Tornado Alley,” is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes due to several factors, particularly its flat terrain, where warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cooler, drier air from the north and so air Instability arises.