Spring storms kill one as possible tornadoes roll across Oklahoma

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes.

In West Virginia, 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state by poweroutage. us. Meanwhile, a spring snowstorm was expected to drop more than a foot of snow in Wisconsin.

One of the hardest-hit areas was northeastern Oklahoma, where a strong weather system containing heavy rains produced three suspected tornadoes. The storms were also blamed for the death of a 46-year-old homeless woman in Tulsa who died inside a drainage pipe, police said.

In Ohio, firefighters came to the rescue of two people who were trapped under a bridge early Tuesday when the waters of a river began rising, and forecasters warned that more severe weather was headed to the area.

The two people were sleeping under the bridge around 8:45 a.m. when the Scioto River started to rise, the Columbus Fire Department reported.

Severe storms also swept through far southwestern Indiana, toppling trees and causing power outages, leading several local school districts to cancel the day’s classes. More than 18,000 homes and businesses were without power Tuesday, including in Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville, Indiana’s third-largest city.

Residents in Wisconsin were bracing for a spring snowstorm that forecasters warned could dump more than a foot of snow in eastern parts of the state.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency after severe storms swept through the state Tuesday. The storms brought tornado warnings, heavy rain and wind along with hail and lightning.

New Senegal president:

Senegal inaugurated Africa’s youngest elected leader as president on Tuesday, as the 44-year-old and previously little-known Bassirou Diomaye Faye completed a dramatic ascent from prison to palace within weeks.

Last month’s election tested Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy in West Africa, a region rocked in recent years by coups and attempted coups.

Faye was released from prison less than two weeks before the vote, along with mentor and popular opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, following a political amnesty announced by outgoing President Macky Sall. Their arrests had sparked months of protests. Rights groups said dozens were killed and about 1,000 were jailed.

In his first speech as president, Faye remembered those killed and arrested during the protests and promised to deliver greater sovereignty for Senegal while working to build prosperity.

“I am aware that the results of the elections express a profound desire for systemic change,” he said.

This is the first elected office for Faye, a former tax inspector.