Thousands in southern U.S. left without power as storms and heatwaves hit region

Hundreds of thousands of households in the south were left without power on Monday after several storms hit the region, leaving residents searching for shelter during a heatwave. 

Oklahoma was hit by a thunderstorm complex also on Sunday, which produced tornadoes, strong winds, and even hail. The winds of up to 80 mph left hundreds of broken poles and damaged wires, according to spokeswoman for Public Service Company of Oklahoma Amy Brown. 

As of Monday evening, Oklahoma has the most power outages with more than 290,800 homes and businesses left without electricity, according to PowerOutage.US. 

At least one person died in Oklahoma due to the power outages after they couldn't use their respirator, reported The Associated Press, quoting Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. Some of the power outages will not be fixed until the end of the week, the mayor added.

Texas and Louisiana each reported about 110,000 power outages, according to the website. Similarly, Mississippi reported 53,000 homes without electricity and Arkansas had lost power in about 62,000. 

Additionally, several powerful, and in some cases even deadly, storms hit the region over the past week. On Sunday, Mississippi was hit by multiple tornadoes, leaving one dead and several dozen injured. The tornado warnings are still in effect in the area, according to the National Weather Service. 

Last week, a string of deadly tornadoes hit the Texas town of Perryton, about 115 miles northeast of Amarillo, leaving 3 dead and more than 75 injured. 

Temperatures in the south are expected to reach triple digits this week, causing additional storms that could bring “hail and strong winds.” Several Texas and Louisiana counties issued excessive heat warnings and urged residents to keep safe. 

"Take frequent breaks, stay hydrated, NEVER leave people/pets alone in a car!" the weather service office in Houston said in a tweet.