On Wednesday storms struck the state of Missouri yet again. Multiple tornados were spotted across Missouri, causing extensive damage to several buildings along with killing three people. Jefferson City and Joplin received the brunt of the storms, leaving many people hospitalized and seeking shelter after the tornados went through.
Jefferson City Missouri
The National Weather Service reported that Jefferson City had been hit by a “violent tornado” on Wednesday evening. Over 20 people in the Jefferson City area were taken to hospitals due to being harmed by the storm but, fortunately, officials have said that no one had “serious” injuries. The Red Cross has set itself up in various shelters across the city. [1]
Major tornados across state tonight, including Jeff City. We’re doing okay but praying for those that were caught in damage, some are still trapped – local emergency crews are on site and assisting.
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) May 23, 2019
“There was a lot of devastation throughout the state,” Governor Mike Parson told reporters on Thursday morning during a press briefing. “We were very fortunate last night that we didn’t have more injuries than what we had, and we didn’t have more fatalities across the state.”
Jefferson City was left mostly undamaged though. The worst damage was a 3-mile-square area in southern Jefferson City which had sustained much damage. Roofs of several buildings in that area were damaged, and emergency crews worked to rescue people who were trapped but were unable to due to the downed power lines.
Earlier, there had been power outage for over 13,000 customers in Jefferson City; there had also been multiple gas leaks reported. The tornado moved at 40 mph through the city, picking up debris and throwing them 13,000 feet in the air. “Everything from debris from a rooftop into a street, uprooted trees, we’ve had damage to vehicles, roofs of businesses,” Lt. David Williams of the Jefferson City Police Department told reporters. “We are going door-to-door to make sure that everyone is accounted for,” Williams said. [2]
Joplin Missouri
Joplin Missouri also suffered from heavy storms on Wednesday. Just north of Joplin, 150 miles south of Kansas City, a tornado touched down, causing three fatalities in Barton County as well as injuring several people. [3]
Across the state, Missouri’s first responders once again responded quickly and with strong coordination as much of the state dealt with extremely dangerous conditions that left people injured, trapped in homes, and tragically led to the death of three people. pic.twitter.com/iOiDp6ObHp
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) May 23, 2019
Notes:
- ^“Search and rescue efforts underway following tornado in Jefferson City.” KOMU.com, 23 May. 2019, www.komu.com/news/search-and-rescue-efforts-underway-following-tornado-in-jefferson-city. (go back ↩)
- ^“3 Killed As Violent Tornadoes Cause ‘Devastation’ In Missouri.” NPR.org, 23 May. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726006657/violent-tornadoes-cause-catastrophic-damage-in-missouri-killing-at-least-3. (go back ↩)
- ^“Tornado Hits Missouri Capital | Alton Daily News.” Alton Daily News, 23 May. 2019, altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=284927#.XObNveo5YuU. (go back ↩)
