At least nine people have been killed after a series of powerful tornadoes tore through multiple states on Friday.
Why It Matters
Tornadoes pose serious risks to life and property, with wind speeds that can exceed 200 miles per hour.
What To Know
Missouri was hit hardest, with at least seven fatalities confirmed, including five in the St. Louis area. Two people were also killed in Virginia.
One person died after a severe storm crumbled part of a St. Louis church. The St. Louis Children’s Hospital received 15 patients with storm-related injuries, according to the Deccan Herald. The Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Missouri’s largest hospital, received about 20 to 30 injured patients.
Authorities conducted aerial reconnaissance using drones and AI-based mapping tools to determine the storm’s path, which confirmed the tornado’s widespread impact.
In response to safety concerns and to prevent looting, a curfew was implemented in the most heavily affected areas until 6 a.m. Saturday. Mayor Cara Spencer urged residents to stay off the roads to allow emergency responders unhindered access to damaged sites and asked people to limit cellphone use due to ongoing connectivity issues.
About 135 miles south of St. Louis, in Scott County, Missouri, two more people were killed after the same line of storms tore through the area.
Jeremy Perrien, chief of the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District, said in an interview that two separate areas were impacted by tornado activity. “We had two different areas of the county that got hit pretty hard,” Perrien told ABC News. “Two different areas suffered a fatality, and we had several injuries as well.” Multiple homes were destroyed, and at least three people were reported injured.
As of early Saturday morning, more than 85,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Missouri, according to poweroutages.us.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, a powerful supercell thunderstorm system spawned a tornado that touched down in Clayton, a suburb just west of St. Louis.
The storm then skipped through Richmond Heights, clipped Forest Park, and continued east across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The high winds battered the region, tearing roofs off homes, splintering trees and causing several buildings to collapse.
Kentucky and parts of the Mid-Atlantic were also hit. In Kentucky, more than 128,000 homes and businesses were without power, according to poweroutages.us.
Tornado watches were issued Friday evening for several cities, including Indianapolis, Louisville, Kentucky, and Carbondale, Illinois, with forecasts warning of multiple tornadoes—some potentially long-track and intense—along with large hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter and damaging wind gusts as high as 80 mph.
The Washington, D.C, region and surrounding areas also experienced dangerous storms Friday. In Virginia, two people were killed when large trees fell onto their vehicles during powerful wind gusts. One fatality occurred along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, where a tree crushed a moving car. In suburban Fairfax County, another woman was killed in a similar incident when a tree fell on her vehicle during the storm, according to local authorities.
Michigan has also been badly affected by storms, with more than 161,000 left without power.
What People Are Saying
Cara Spencer, the mayor of St. Louis, said in a Friday conference: “This is a hard night for many, many families. Our city is grieving tonight. The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous. Our priority tonight and for the next 24 hours is life — protecting it, finding those who may be trapped, and getting them to safety.”
What Happens Next
While the worst of Friday’s storms has passed for some areas, the threat isn’t over. The storm system is forecast to shift southward on Saturday, putting parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas at risk for damaging winds, large hail, and possible tornadoes.
The post Violent Tornadoes Leave 9 Dead Across Multiple States: What To Know appeared first on Newsweek.
