Multiple deaths reported in St. Louis after suspected tornado moved through metro
Five people were reported dead, and significant storm damage was reported in the St. Louis area after a suspected tornado moved through the metro Friday afternoon, officials said.
In a press conference Friday evening, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the death toll from the storm had reached five and that more than 5,000 homes were damaged by the storm. Officials did not have a count of injuries Friday evening.
'Our city is grieving tonight,' Spencer said. 'The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous.'
'It truly is a hard night for many, many people and many, many families in our community,' Spencer added.
There was significant damage to north and west areas of the city, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said. A curfew would be in effect for parts of the city overnight into Saturday morning, police said.
St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said first responders have mapped out the path of the suspected tornado, which touched down in the Clayton area and moved east across the Mississippi River into Illinois and reached a width of about three blocks. He estimated 500 first responders were working in the storm response on Friday evening.
'There is very significant damage because of this storm,' he said. 'This was a very destructive storm.'
'Damage reports and radar imagery suggest a tornado likely occurred across parts of St. Louis this afternoon,' the National Weather Service's St. Louis office said in a social media post on Friday evening. 'We will have a survey team on the ground tomorrow to confirm and assign a rating.'
The National Weather Service had received damage reports throughout the St. Louis metro of downed power poles and trees, large hail and damaged buildings.
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