At least 16 people are dead after a wave of violent weather swept through a 1,200 kilometre stretch across the American heartland, destroying homes, flipping vehicles, and cutting power from Texas to the Great Lakes.The sprawling line of thunderstorms hurled giant hail, hurricane-force gusts, and flash floods as it raced northeast, leaving first responders juggling water rescues with tornado emergencies.Seven deaths were confirmed in Missouri and nine in neighbouring Kentucky as crews combed shredded communities for survivors on Saturday.In St. Louis, officials said five people died when winds barrelled through during Friday’s rush hour, toppling trees and downing power lines before moving on to Illinois. .St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer estimated more than 5,000 homes were damaged and warned the toll could rise as debris is cleared. “Our city is grieving tonight,” Spencer told the media on Friday night. “The loss of life and destruction is horrendous.” Roughly 160 kilometres south, Scott County Sheriff Derick Wheetley reported two more deaths after a tornado ripped through rural Missouri, “leaving areas unrecognizable.”The same system roared east into Kentucky just before midnight. .Laurel County deputies counted nine deaths and “numerous” injuries after a twister touched down near London just before midnight.Search teams went through collapsed homes and barns.The US National Weather Service has yet to finish storm surveys, but radar imagery and eyewitness video suggest several tornadoes struck both states.Friday marked the third straight day of severe weather. PowerOutage.us showed about 315,000 customers offline early this morning, most of them in Michigan after storms went through the Great Lakes..In Wisconsin, hailstones up to two inches in size pummelled Madison, while another funnel cloud went through New Richmond. It is unclear if it touched down. From early Thursday to early Saturday, the Storm Prediction Center logged more than 1,500 reports of tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail across 24 states.Forecasters warn the danger is not over. Severe weather watches stretch from east Texas to the mid-Atlantic through the weekend, and a fresh low forming Sunday could bring another round of strong, “long track” tornadoes over the southern Midwest.
At least 16 people are dead after a wave of violent weather swept through a 1,200 kilometre stretch across the American heartland, destroying homes, flipping vehicles, and cutting power from Texas to the Great Lakes.The sprawling line of thunderstorms hurled giant hail, hurricane-force gusts, and flash floods as it raced northeast, leaving first responders juggling water rescues with tornado emergencies.Seven deaths were confirmed in Missouri and nine in neighbouring Kentucky as crews combed shredded communities for survivors on Saturday.In St. Louis, officials said five people died when winds barrelled through during Friday’s rush hour, toppling trees and downing power lines before moving on to Illinois. .St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer estimated more than 5,000 homes were damaged and warned the toll could rise as debris is cleared. “Our city is grieving tonight,” Spencer told the media on Friday night. “The loss of life and destruction is horrendous.” Roughly 160 kilometres south, Scott County Sheriff Derick Wheetley reported two more deaths after a tornado ripped through rural Missouri, “leaving areas unrecognizable.”The same system roared east into Kentucky just before midnight. .Laurel County deputies counted nine deaths and “numerous” injuries after a twister touched down near London just before midnight.Search teams went through collapsed homes and barns.The US National Weather Service has yet to finish storm surveys, but radar imagery and eyewitness video suggest several tornadoes struck both states.Friday marked the third straight day of severe weather. PowerOutage.us showed about 315,000 customers offline early this morning, most of them in Michigan after storms went through the Great Lakes..In Wisconsin, hailstones up to two inches in size pummelled Madison, while another funnel cloud went through New Richmond. It is unclear if it touched down. From early Thursday to early Saturday, the Storm Prediction Center logged more than 1,500 reports of tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail across 24 states.Forecasters warn the danger is not over. Severe weather watches stretch from east Texas to the mid-Atlantic through the weekend, and a fresh low forming Sunday could bring another round of strong, “long track” tornadoes over the southern Midwest.
