President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Arkansas in the wake of a deadly storm system that wreaked havoc across several states.
Trump announced Sunday in a post on Truth Social that the military force was on its way to help residents, Fox News reported.
The states where the tragic loss of life occurred are Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas.
Trump wrote:
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. The National Guard have been deployed to Arkansas, and my Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage. Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!
On Monday, several outlets were reporting the storms left more than 40 people dead and inflicted significant damage in numerous communities, according to USA Today.
“Heavy winds tore through the Heartland on Saturday, threatening Missouri, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma with tornadoes, damaging buildings and homes. Northern states, including South Dakota and Minnesota, faced blizzard warnings,” the Fox article said.
Video footage shows tornadoes tearing through communities, leaving flattened buildings, downed power lines, and destroyed vehicles:
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency on Saturday. She later thanked Trump for the assistance he was sending.
“I’m en route to Northeast Arkansas and just got off the phone with President @realDonaldTrump,” she wrote. “He 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. Thank you, Mr. President!”
I’m en route to Northeast Arkansas and just got off the phone with President @realDonaldTrump. He 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.
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 15, 2025
Thank you, Mr. President!
The National Guard on Sunday said its members were on the ground helping Arkansas residents with security and humanitarian aid:
Always Ready, Always There! @arkansasguard members support civilian authorities providing security and humanitarian assistance in communities affected by tornadoes in central and eastern Arkansas. pic.twitter.com/syOQPfbz0a
— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) March 16, 2025
There were approximately 130,000 power outages on Monday across the nation in the areas where the storm system hit, per the USA Today report.
The outlet noted that “Missouri saw the highest initial death toll as state officials confirmed a dozen people were killed.”
Meanwhile, “The National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday in several areas as southwest winds with gusts up to 35 to 45 mph are expected to hit much of central and southwest Oklahoma,” USA Today noted, “and meteorologists forecast conditions to be worse on Tuesday, posing higher risks for fires.”
