At least 16 dead across Midwest as tornadoes rip through three states

A string of deadly storms have ripped through the Midwest, claiming at least 16 lives, including nine fatalities in a mass casualty event triggered by a tornado in southeastern Kentucky.

Kentucky authorities reported severe injuries in Laurel County after the twister struck late on Friday.

"The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors," Sheriff John Root's office confirmed.

Meanwhile, Missouri grappled with its own devastation, with at least seven reported deaths. Authorities conducted exhaustive searches, combing through buildings for trapped or injured people after severe storms, potentially including a tornado, ravaged the state.

The storms were part of a larger, destructive weather system that wreaked havoc across the Midwest on Friday.

Tornadoes were also reported in Wisconsin, while the Great Lakes region experienced widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of customers. Simultaneously, a brutal heatwave scorched Texas.

In Missouri, the Friday storms inflicted widespread damage, tearing roofs from buildings, shattering windows, ripping bricks from siding, and uprooting trees and power lines.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths within the city, with more than 5,000 homes impacted by the storms.

“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew had been put into place on Friday in the neighborhoods with the most damage.

The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.

St. Louis Children's Hospital received 15 patients, with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said.

National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2.30 p.m. and 2.50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.

At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.

Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.

Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, heard an alert on his phone and then the lights went out.

“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.

The upper stories of the Harlem Taproom's brick building were demolished when the storm came through, leaving piles of bricks around the outside. About 20 people were inside, but they huddled in the back of the building and none were hurt, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people.

They could hear tree branches and hail hitting the building’s windows and Randle went up a flight of stairs to the main entrance for about 10 seconds, he said.

"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 of the zoo’s animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to any staff, guests or animals.

“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.

A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.

“Our first responders acted swiftly, even while the tornado was still active, putting themselves in harm’s way to provide immediate assistance and care to those injured,” he said.

Weather forecasters warned severe storms with possible tornadoes, hail and even hurricane-force winds could hobble parts of Appalachia and the Midwest on Friday.

The weather service warned of a rare tornado emergency around Marion, Illinois, on Friday evening, saying a tornado had been confirmed and was life-threatening. Reports of damage and injuries were not immediately available.

A dust storm warning was issued around the Chicago area on Friday night. The weather service said a wall of dust extended along a 100-mile (161-kilometer) line from southwest of Chicago to northern Indiana that severely reduced visibility.

The National Weather Service said residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio should brace for intense storms that could include baseball-sized hail.