President Donald Trump activated the National Guard in tornado-struck Arkansas on Sunday, after tornadoes and heavy winds ripped through several states over the weekend, killing at least 37 people.
On Saturday, strong winds ripped through the Heartland, threatening tornadoes in Missouri, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma while damaging buildings and homes. Blizzard warnings were issued for northern states, including South Dakota and Minnesota.
“We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest — 36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated,” Trump wrote in a Sunday post to X.
“The National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas, and my administration is prepared to assist state and local officials as they assist their communities in recovering from the damage. “Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone affected by these terrible storms!” the president wrote.
The National Guard tweeted that its Arkansas officers will “support civilian authorities in providing security and humanitarian assistance in communities affected by tornadoes in central and eastern Arkansas.”
Here are the number of deaths by state so far:
- Alabama: 3
- Arkansas: 3
- Mississippi: 6
- Missouri: 12
- Oklahoma: 1
- Texas: 4
- Kansas: 8
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there were about 50 National Guardsmen and 40 state police on the ground in Arkansas on Sunday.
On the ground in Cave City this afternoon and thankful to see so many people taking care of one another. If you need assistance or want to help – Check out https://t.co/NoPJfjNUzG pic.twitter.com/FLDgwN5NOV
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 15, 2025
“As you drive through this community, you see so many neighbors coming out, taking care of each other,” she said in a video posted to X. “One of the things that will make you so proud as governor is to see neighbors helping neighbors, and nowhere is this more true than right now in this community. We have about 40 state police officers and 50 National Guard troops stationed in the county.”
In a post on X, Sanders stated that she spoke with Trump on the phone, who “said to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes.”
Dakota Henderson, a Missouri resident, told The Associated Press that he and others helped rescue neighbors trapped beneath rubble on Friday evening, discovering five bodies in the process.
“It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night,” Henderson told the Associated Press on Saturday.
On Friday, some areas in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico were ordered evacuated.
Strong winds caused wildfires in the Southern Plains, and severe storms and tornadoes were forecast for eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee, western North Carolina and South Carolina, and the western Florida Panhandle.