Powerful storms and tornadoes tore through several Midwestern and Southern states overnight Friday, leaving dozens of people dead and flattened buildings in their wake.
In Missouri, there are at least seven dead — five in the St. Louis area and two others in a more rural part of the state, south of the capital.
At a press conference on Saturday morning, St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said over 30 people were injured, warning that the number could be higher.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer called the devastation “truly tremendous” and said an estimated 5,000 buildings were impacted.
According to PowerOutage.us, the storms left nearly a half million customers without power in dozens of states from Missouri to Maryland.
Overnight Friday, strong storms and tornadoes ripped through a number of Midwestern and Southern states, destroying buildings and killing dozens of people.
At least twenty-four people have died in Kentucky. 23 of those fatalities, according to authorities, happened in London, Kentucky. , in the state’s southeast, where some individuals remain missing.
Just after 8 a.m., a message. m. ET from the State. Andy Beshear asked for prayers for the families who are impacted. However, the known death toll had already increased by 10 less than an hour later.
At London, Ky. While Kristen Mosley’s house was spared, many of her neighbors were not. Complete destruction. She remarked, “I mean, houses torn apart, trees torn up.”. “The tragedy is beyond words. “..”.
There are five in the St. Louis area and at least seven dead in Missouri. Louis region and two more in the state’s more rural south of the capital. During a press conference early on Saturday, St. Despite stating that more than 30 people were hurt, Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson cautioned that the figure might be higher.
“St.”. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer described the destruction as “truly tremendous” and stated that an estimated 5,000 buildings were affected. “The devastation is truly heartbreaking,” she continued.
Responders are still looking for survivors inside buildings and homes, and authorities are requesting that people avoid the affected areas so that crews can continue their work. A curfew is in effect starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to the authorities. M. till six in the morning. A. because of fallen power lines and for property protection.
In dozens of states, from Missouri to Maryland, the storms caused almost 500,000 customers to lose power, according to PowerOutage . us.
This story is ongoing and will be updated.
Contributed reporting was done by Stan Ingold of WEKU, a member station.
