Death toll from extreme weather in US over weekend rises to 36

The death toll from weekend storms has risen to 36 across six states.

In a statement from the White House, President Donald Trump said he was closely monitoring the storms and tornadoes, stressing: "36 innocent lives have been taken, and many more are in dire straits."

He also announced that the National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas and pledged support for state and local authorities.

The storms that battered the southern and midwestern United States moved eastward on Sunday (March 16). According to the website PowerOutage, more than 340,000 homes and businesses were without power by late afternoon.

Missouri was hardest hit with 12 deaths in five counties, state officials said on the X platform.

Climate change could increase the severity of future hurricanes and tornadoes, meteorologists warn. Rising global temperatures are creating conditions for storm systems to become stronger and less predictable.

Many states in the US have stepped up emergency response measures, including improving early warning systems and upgrading disaster-proof infrastructure. However, with the trend of increasingly extreme weather, experts say more long-term policies are needed to protect communities from disaster risks.

Cao Phong (according to NWS, CNA, CNN)