Water crossing road in Terre Haute, Indiana, Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. (Lisa Trigg)

Mother Nature waited for Christmas to come and go before lashing out. And when she did, she struck hard and caused historic damage in some areas across the country, leading to 43 deaths across multiple states. 

The weather service is calling it Winter Storm Goliath.

Texas may have felt the brunt of the erratic weather. From tornadoes to snow, ice storms to flooding, the Lone Star state got a taste of it all.

The biggest damage came from a tornado that swept through the Dallas area Saturday. At least 11 people were killed when over the weekend as storms swept through, including an EF-4 twister that touched down around 6:45 p.m.

At least three people who died were found in vehicles. According to Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau, some cars appeared to be thrown from the interstate as winds reached more than 200 mph.

Also in Texas, the Department of Public Safety discouraged travel throughout the entire Panhandle because blowing and drifting snow had made the roads impassable. The weather forced one of the major interstate’s in the state to be completely shut down.

Oklahoma also experienced torrential rains and flooding, followed by snow and ice by Monday. 

In Rogers County, Oklahoma, sheriff’s deputies rescued stranded motorists from flooded areas Saturday night. Some drivers braved the conditions as heavy rains pelted the region, while others were unaware of the dangers.

Sgt. Joe Batt and Deputy Chris Buck said there were multiple water rescues, including an an elderly man was stranded on a flooded roadway.

“The water had already started filling the car and when we looked inside, there was an elderly man inside who was shaking uncontrollably,” Batt said. “He was freezing.”

Batt noticed the elderly man had a walker in the car.

“I had a life vest on myself and took it off and gave it to him since he could not walk that well. Once my partner and I got him out of the car and through the water, we placed him inside of our car, where he could get warm,” Batt said.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency as there were blizzard conditions and an ice storm warning out west and flood warnings in the east. That includes Tahlequah, which has received 8.5-9.6 inches of rain within two days. Residents along the Illinois River were stranded. Rock and mudslides occurred along Highway 10. 

The state Department of Emergency Management said eight storm-related injuries were reported and about 60,000 homes and businesses were without power in the state. 

That 23,000 customers in Comanche County in the dark, along with about 1,300 in Jackson County, 1,200 in Harmon County, 4,600 in Kiowa County and close to 800 in Tillman County. Outages could last until Wednesday or longer, according to reports.

According to the National Weather Service, the weather conditions will continue to deteriorate throughout the day with snow expanding across western and northwest Oklahoma. Snow could combine with strong winds to create near blizzard conditions.

“Freezing rain and sleet will continue along the transition line. Areas along a line from Altus to Clinton to Enid could potentially see up to a quarter to three quarters inches of ice, though there is still some uncertainty here. This transition line is not expected to move much through the day as temperatures remain rather constant,” NWS reported. “South central to southeast Oklahoma will continue to see steady (at times heavy) rain throughout the day, which could result in some flooding.”

In Missouri, Joplin received 8.61 inches of rain during a 72-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service station in Springfield. That would put the city’s total for the year at more than 60 inches.

Higher amounts were reported around the region, including 9.55 inches at the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on Shoal Creek, and 10.96 inches in Shoal Creek Estates.

Between 10 and 12 inches of rain were reported in parts of Barry County. Megan Terry, meteorologist and hydrologist with NWS, said Fayetteville, Arkansas, reported one of the highest totals in the region, at 13.48 inches in a 72-hour period.

In Indiana, the weather service reported the White River had reached about 8.5 feet by about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Ten feet is considered flood stage though the river, like many creeks in the northern part of the county, already clearly had jumped its banks in several places.

According to the Associated Press, the death toll has reached 43. That includes eight deaths in Missouri and three in Illinois.

In the Southeast, Alabama authorities found the body of a 22-year-old man whose vehicle was swept away while attempting to cross a bridge. Up to 10 people have died in Mississippi, six died in Tennessee and one person was killed in Arkansas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.