Storms swept across parts of the Midwest and South, killing at least 26 people, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announcing Saturday that 18 of the deaths occurred in his state.
Friday’s storms were part of a weather system that killed seven people in Missouri and at least one in Virginia. It also caused tornadoes in Wisconsin, scorching heat in Texas, and a temporary dust cloud over parts of Illinois, including Chicago, on an otherwise sunny day.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Saturday evening that she spoke with Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “to offer federal resources and action for the deadly tornadoes and storms impacting Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois.”
According to Noem, they “discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support.”
Kentucky slammed by devastating tornado, mass casualty event
In Kentucky, Beshear reported that severe weather, including a devastating tornado, killed 18 people. Beshear predicts that the death toll will rise. Beshear confirmed that 17 people were killed in Laurel County and one in Pulaski County. According to the governor, an additional ten people were hospitalized in critical condition.
The Laurel County Fire Department identified one of the deceased as Maj. Leslie Roger Leatherman, a firefighter who was “fatally injured” while responding to the tornado, according to the agency.
“Major Leatherman was a dedicated public servant for 39 years, answering the call to protect and help others in their most critical time of need,” the agency stated on Facebook. “His courage, commitment, and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, Beshear stated. He also stated that the majority of the victims were in their 60s and 70s, and the death toll could continue to rise.
“It’s hard to see,” the governor stated after touring the affected areas. “Homes in which no single wall remains standing. Some homes have all four walls but have lost the occupant inside. “You can not only see but also feel the destruction.”
According to Kentucky authorities, the tornado ripped through Laurel County, causing structures to collapse and even flipping a car on I-75. The tornado, which ripped through the largely rural area and reached the London Corbin Airport, struck shortly before midnight.
“Tonight, lives were forever changed. London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV, “This is a time for us to come together and pray for our community.” “I have never personally witnessed anything like what I have seen here tonight. There is a lot of devastation.
According to State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson, hundreds of homes have been damaged.
Kayla Patterson, her husband, and their five children huddled in a bathtub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged outside.
“You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,” she recalled. “It was terrible.”
The family finally emerged to the sound of sirens and panicked neighbors. While their home was spared, those directly behind it were demolished, Patterson said Saturday, as power tools buzzed in the background. The neighborhood was littered with piles of lumber, metal sheeting, insulation, and miscellaneous items like a suitcase, a sofa, and some six-packs of paper towels.
The sheriff’s office stated that rescuers searched for survivors throughout the night and into the morning. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school, and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.
The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads.
Missouri church, zoo landmarks devastated by tornadoes
In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer reported that five people died, 38 were injured, and over 5,000 homes were damaged.
“The devastation is truly heartbreaking,” she stated during a press conference. An overnight curfew was to be maintained in the most damaged areas.
According to National Weather Service radar, a tornado touched down between 2:30 and 2:50 p.m. local time Friday in Clayton, Missouri, near St. Louis. The apparent tornado struck Forest Park, which houses the St. Louis Zoo and hosted the World’s Fair and Olympic Games in 1904.
Missouri State Police confirmed to CBS News that five people were killed in St. Louis and two in Scott County near Sloanville. Sloanville lies north of Sikeston. Scott County is located approximately 130 miles south of St. Louis.
St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people required assistance after a portion of the Centennial Christian Church collapsed.
Stacy Clark stated that his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as an active church volunteer with a variety of roles, including choir membership.
Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, received an alert on his phone, and the lights went out.
“And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” a voice said. He and his brother entered the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he had thought. “Everything was tore up.”
Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute, prompting officials to urge people to stay at home.
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 ushered into the basement with approximately 150 other people.
“You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he told me. “A lot of people were caught outside.”
Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would be closed on Saturday due to downed trees and other damage. According to Childs, all animals were safe, and there had been no reports of serious injuries to staff, guests, or animals.
“We can’t say definitively whether or not it was a tornado, but it probably was,” National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.
“Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts, and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,” the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center stated on its website on Saturday. The risk was particularly high in north Texas.
According to a spokesperson for the United States Bureau of Prisons, a tornado struck near the Federal Correctional Institution Marion in Marion, Illinois. Although FCI Marion was not in the tornado’s path, the staff housing was directly hit and severely damaged.
“As a temporary measure, the movement for certain incarcerated individuals has been suspended and accountability procedures are in place,” a spokesperson informed me. The U.S. Park Service confirmed to CBS News that one person died in Virginia when a tree fell on a vehicle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.