Heat Wave Triggers Big Storms, Power Outages in US Southeast, Raises Wildfire Concerns in Southwest

Heat Wave Triggers Big Storms, Power Outages in US Southeast, Raises Wildfire Concerns in Southwest
(L–R) Cason Bullis, Mya Kampfer, and Caleb Dessos find a way to cool off with their inflatable pool in the front yard of their house in Shreveport, La., on June 17, 2023. Henrietta Wildsmith/The Shreveport Times via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:
0:00

Forecasters warned people celebrating Father’s Day outdoors to take precautions as triple-digit temperatures prompted heat advisories across much of the southern U.S., triggered thunderstorms that knocked out power from Oklahoma to Mississippi and whipped up winds that raised wildfire threats in Arizona and New Mexico.

A suspected tornado struck near Scranton, Arkansas early Sunday, destroying chicken houses and toppling trees onto homes, the National Weather Service said. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.