VOA常速英语:美国多地遭龙卷风重创

Severe weather has continued across the U.S. Midwest, with tornadoes and storm damage reported in Texas and Oklahoma. Tornadoes that passed through the cities of Abilene and Ballinger early Saturday destroyed homes and left many without roofs. Tornadoes and high winds have swept through the central U.S. plains since Friday, affecting 75 million people in the path. In addition to Texas, the storms hit Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas. It was fast-moving storm. It was about 15 seconds. The trees that were planted here are 100 years old, so it’s really hard emotionally for us. Torrential rain has caused flooding in the Kansas City area. More than 3000 people lost power Saturday afternoon. The state governor issued a state of emergency declaration on Friday. The rising Mississippi River has caused flooding in southern states, notably in the Baton Rouge area in Louisiana.

Southern Texas also has been flooded especially in the Kingwood area. We have lost everything. A lightning strike at this home in Houston is being blamed for causing a fire that destroyed the two-million-dollar mansion. The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has canceled or delayed hundreds of flights since Saturday evening. More than 100,000 households were left without power from Texas to Lowa during the height of the storms on Saturday. The excessive rain has been especially damaging to farmers in the Midwest, with some of their farmland unusable since March. Flooding also has disrupted shipping of agricultural products, fuel and construction materials that farmers need during the planting season. Mostly, we had soybeans and they can’t handle the flood. They are short. They grow close to the ground and you get a couple feet of water on them, and they’re trash. They’re no good. They’re worthless. Flooding should start retreating early next week in southern states, but it is expected to linger for at least another week in Central States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center said weather conditions may produce tornadoes on Monday in the plain states.