Over 20 Dead as Tornadoes Devastate Kentucky, Missouri
More than 20 people have been confirmed dead after powerful tornadoes tore through the southern US states of Kentucky and Missouri late Friday, leaving widespread destruction and knocking out power to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that at least 14 people died in his state, with the death toll expected to rise. “We’re starting today with the tough news that we lost at least 14 of our people to last night’s storms,” he said on social media platform X. “Please pray for all of our affected families.”
Missouri officials reported at least seven deaths, including five in the St. Louis area and two in Scott County, according to the state highway patrol.
Drone footage from London, Kentucky, revealed flattened homes, splintered debris, and stripped tree trunks. Over 100,000 people in Kentucky are without electricity, and five counties have declared a state of emergency. The region, part of Eastern Kentucky known for its historic coal mining towns, is among the poorest in the country.
In Missouri, more than 80,000 residents were left without power. Officials have opened three emergency shelters, and further storms are forecast for Sunday and Monday.
“Our city is grieving tonight,” said St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer. “The loss of life and the destruction is truly horrendous.”
Local church leaders described the devastation. “It’s horrific for a tornado to come through here and cause this much damage,” said Pastor Derrick Perkins of Centennial Christian Church in St. Louis.
Despite warnings and preemptive declarations of emergency, the scale of the disaster has reignited concerns about potential understaffing at the National Weather Service (NWS), following sharp personnel cuts. According to the Washington Post, roughly 500 of the NWS’s 4,200 employees have either retired or been laid off this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the US experienced nearly 1,800 tornadoes last year, marking the second-highest total on record after 2004.
