In Oklahoma alone, more than 150 blazes were burning, which have destroyed almost 300 structures and killed at least one person.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed as wildfires swept across Oklahoma, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders.

Clay Abercrombie, the mayor of Mannford, Oklahoma, discusses the devastation left by wildfires that were fueled by Saturday's high winds and dry conditions.

High winds and dry weather fueled wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas, with winds so strong they toppled several semis.

Meanwhile, dust storms spurred by high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle.

Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the U.S., wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states.