A deadly tornado outbreak ripped through multiple Midwest states overnight Friday,leaving a path of destruction and killing at least 14 people.
Missouri has reported at least 11 storm-related deaths,including six in hard-hit Wayne County and at least three in Ozark County.
A victim in Butler County was killed when a tornado flattened his home. “It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field,"Coroner Jim Akers told The Associated Press,"The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls."
In Arkansas,three more fatalities were confirmed in Independence County,with dozens more injuries reported across at least eight counties. The numbers are expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue in battered areas.
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The same storm system battered parts of the Plains on Friday,causing blinding dust storms and leading to deadly crashes that killed three people. The system is now shifting eastward,with the potential for more violent,long-track tornadoes expected across the South and East.
(MORE:Dangerous Tornado Outbreak To Continue Saturday)
According to the Storm Prediction Center,at least 23 tornadoes were reported through Saturday morning across four states:Missouri,Mississippi,Illinois and Arkansas. At least five twisters occured in Missouri alone,including one near St. Louis.
In Rolla,Missouri,a tornado tore through a strip mall before midnight,leaving buildings battered and debris scattered across streets.
Baseball-sized hail was reported near Highlandville,Missouri,and in Clark County,Indiana,wind pushed large hailstones into drifts six inches deep. Wind gusts topped 80 mph in McDonough,Illinois. Damage was reported across the Midwest,including broken windows,trees down and cars flipped.
As the night progressed,the storms pushed south into Arkansas and beyond. Just before 10 p.m. local time,possible tornadoes touched down in Franklin and Van Buren,causing significant destruction to homes.
The devastation continued into Mississippi,where reports emerged of extensive damage in Grenada County after a tornado warning was issued just before 1 a.m. local time. The community of Elliot was hit exceptionally hard with reports of several homes destroyed in the area.
By night's end,the National Weather Service had also issued urgent tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings across Alabama,Kentucky,Tennessee,Illinois,Indiana and Texas.
Emergency responders are already working to provide aid,and officials are urging people in affected areas to seek shelter and stay informed. The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed.
(MORE:Why Nighttime Tornadoes Can Be Twice As Deadly)
With more than 100 million people in the storm’s path,the threat is far from over. Residents in the South and Midwest should stay alert as dangerous storms continue to march eastward.
