Mass casualty event declared as Midwest tornadoes kill at least 23

At least 23 people died after a string of lethal tornadoes ripped across the Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic parts of the United States on Friday.

A severe storm system brewing over the region led to severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, hail and strong winds overnight. On Saturday morning, officials in Kentucky, Virginia and Missouri confirmed that dozens of people had been killed.

In Kentucky, at least 14 people died, and the death toll is expected to rise, Governor Andy Beshear said. Nine people died in Laurel County alone in what the sheriff called a “mass casualty event.”

At least seven people died in Missouri and dozens more have been injured.

Virginia authorities said at least two people had been killed by falling trees.

Tornadoes were also reported in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana and more.

On Saturday morning, officials across the states released statements mourning the loss of citizens and encouraging those affected to utilize local resources.

“Kentucky, we’re starting today with the tough news that we lost at least 14 of our people to last night’s storms, but sadly, this number is expected to grow as we receive more information. Please pray for all of our affected families,” Beshear wrote on X.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five people died within the city, calling the losses “truly, truly devastating.”

The city is 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.

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.

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. 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.”

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

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report