At least five people dead, dozens injured as tornado rips through Missouri
Senior meteorologist Janice Dean reports the latest on the severe weather as the mid-Atlantic braces for threats.
A tornado in southeastern Missouri killed five people and caused widespread destruction in the state.
The twister touched down at around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, moving through Bollinger County.
The names of the five victims of the storm were not immediately released and five others were injured in the region, per State Highway Patrol Superintendent Eric Olson.
Residents in Glen Allen said at least some of the victims were members of a family who lived in a trailer along a state highway.
TORNADO RIPS THROUGH MISSOURI, CAUSES WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION, KILLS MULTIPLE PEOPLE
This photo provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and taken with a drone as it surveys the damage from a tornado that hit southeast Missouri early Wednesday, April 5, 2023. ((Missouri State Highway Patrol via AP))
A small black dog was also found dead in the debris.
Olson noted that 12 structures were destroyed in the severe weather and dozens more had been affected.
A tornado touches down in Pleasantville, Iowa, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. The storms moving through the Midwest and South on Wednesday threaten some areas still reeling from a deadly bout of bad weather last weekend. ((Courtesy of Deanna Sutter Rood via AP))
The damage was concentrated around Glen Allen and Grassy, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey Graham said in a Facebook post.
Photos showed trees uprooted and debris blocking roads.
The National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, tweeted late Wednesday that preliminary damage survey results showed the tornado was an EF-2, snapping "hundreds of trees" at the base. The office said it moved across more than 22 miles, with estimated peak winds of 130 mph.
Devastation from a tornado that hit Glen Allen, Mo., in southeastern Missouri, killing several people and causing an unknown number of injuries, is pictured on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. ((AP Photo/Jim Salter))
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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson toured the storm damage area and said President Biden called him to assure him of federal assistance, with local agencies anticipating months of recovery efforts.
Debris covers the ground as homes are damaged after severe weather in Glen Allen, Mo., on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. ((Courtesy of Josh Wells via AP))
He said the executive order 23-03 that had activated the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan and Missouri National Guard in response to severe weather was still in effect, with first responders and utilities working to clear debris and restore power.
"Just finished an aerial tour of the tornado damage in Bollinger County and met with responders at the command post in Marble Hill. Our hearts go out to the families of the five individuals who lost their lives in this storm. Teresa and I will keep them in our prayers," Parson tweeted.
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Multiple storms have struck the nation's heartland over recent weeks, with dozens of tornadoes that have killed at least 63 people.
Recent storms threatened parts of the Midwest and South that were still reeling from deadly weather last weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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