ST. LOUIS (AP) — The series of storm systems moving through the Midwest has resulted in at least 16 fatalities, with nine individuals losing their lives when a tornado triggered a mass casualty incident in southeast Kentucky, according to law enforcement officials.
Kentucky officials reported multiple serious injuries after a tornado swept through Laurel County late Friday.
The search operation remains ongoing in the affected region for potential survivors,” stated Sheriff John Root’s office in a post made on social media. A temporary emergency shelter has been established at a nearby high school, with contributions of food and essential items being received.
“The response from our community has been incredibly touching. We continue to welcome contributions,” stated the Sheriff’s Office.
Spokesman Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers have “been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors. That’s what we’re continuing to do.”
The tornado, which ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport, hit shortly before midnight.
Lives have been altered irreversibly tonight. It’s a moment when we unite and pray for our community,” stated London Mayor Randall Weddle to WKYT-TV. “Nothing like this has ever happened before under my watch. The damage is extensive.
Storms hammer Missouri, with fatalities reported in St. Louis
The severe weather system on Friday resulted in seven fatalities in Missouri and triggered tornadoes in Wisconsin. It also caused over a few hundred thousand households to lose power in the Great Lakes area and led to an intense heatwave sweeping across Texas.
The mayor of St. Louis, Cara Spencer, verified five fatalities within her city and mentioned that over 5,000 residences were impacted.
“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew Friday had been put into place in the neighborhoods with the most damage.
The exact count of those hurt wasn’t readily available. Barnes-Jewish Hospital admitted between 20 to 30 individuals following the storm; some were critically injured but most likely would be released by Friday evening, as stated by hospital spokesperson Laura High.
The St. Louis Children’s Hospital admitted 15 patients, and two of them are anticipated to stay until the weekend, according to her statement.
The National Weather Service radar suggested that a tornado landed between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, within the vicinity of St. Louis. This presumed tornado descended upon the region near Forest Park, which houses the St. Louis Zoo and was also where the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympics took place during the same year.
At Centennial Christian Church, Battalion Chief William Pollihan from the City of St. Louis Fire Department informed The Associated Press that three individuals needed rescue efforts following partial collapse of the church structure. Unfortunately, one person did not survive.
Stacy Clark mentioned that his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, passed away inside the church. He portrayed her as an extremely involved church volunteer with numerous responsibilities, such as being a member of the choir.
Jeffrey Simmons Sr., residing opposite the church, received an alert on his phone followed by a power outage.
“And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” he said. He and his brother went into the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he thought. “Everything was tore up.”
Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute and officials urged people to stay home.
A 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student named John Randle mentioned that he and his girlfriend sought shelter in the basement of the St. Louis Art Museum along with roughly 150 others during the storm.
“You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”
Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.
“We cannot conclusively determine if it was indeed a tornado, but it most probably was,” stated National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler.
A tornado hit Scott County, approximately 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, resulting in two fatalities, numerous injuries, and significant damage to multiple residences, as reported by Sheriff Derick Wheetley via social media.
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Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani from Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth from Kansas City, Missouri, and Lisa Baumann from Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.
Michael Phillis, Corey Williams, and John Hanna from The Associated Press
