Severe weather leaves nine dead in Kentucky
Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late on Friday.
'The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors,' the office of Sheriff John Root said.
Tornado Warning continues for Brevard NC until 5:30 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/xrEoTbqcJ7
— NWS Tornado (@NWStornado) May 17, 2025
In Missouri, at least seven people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms, including at least one possible tornado.
The storms were part of a severe weather system that also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.
In Missouri, the storms on Friday afternoon tore roofs off buildings, blew out windows, ripped bricks off siding and yanked up trees and power lines.
St Louis was heavily affected (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St Louis mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected.
'This is truly, truly devastating,' Ms Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew on Friday had been put into place in the areas with the most damage.
The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.
St Louis Children's Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said.
Plenty of active severe weather across the eastern third of the nation this afternoon including both severe thunderstorm and tornado watches and warnings. Keep in mind what your plans is for each, and check for the latest at https://t.co/VyWINDk3xP. pic.twitter.com/gZpRO6NCfn
— National Weather Service (@NWS) May 16, 2025
National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2.30pm and 2.50pm local time in Clayton, Missouri, in the St Louis area.
The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World's Fair and Olympic Games the same year.
At Centennial Christian Church, City of St Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.
Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.
Storms downed trees in Missouri (AP)
Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute and officials urged people to stay home.
The upper stories of the Harlem Taproom's brick building were demolished when the storm came through, leaving piles of bricks around the outside. About 20 people were inside, but they huddled in the back of the building and none were hurt, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. All animals were safe and there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.
'We can't definitively say whether or not it was a tornado – it likely was,' US National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.
A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles south of St Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.
'Our first responders acted swiftly, even while the tornado was still active, putting themselves in harm's way to provide immediate assistance and care to those injured,' he said.
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'They're nervous that what they say may have a political ramification, and then somebody much like a bully back in high school will come and knock them down for no reason, right?' The concerns in the Quad Cities office reflect a challenging national staffing picture. The office is one of 35 of 122 forecasting offices without permanent meteorologists-in-charge to lead them, according to an agency list. As of last month, about 43% of forecasting offices had staffing vacancy rates above 20%, according to Fahy. At least six offices have vacancy rates high enough that they have shuttered overnight services, leaving the areas they service vulnerable to overnight surprises. Congressional Democrats from California, where offices in Sacramento and Hanford are closed overnight, have railed against the cuts, calling them the 'beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences.' In Florida, John Morales, a meteorologist for NBC South Florida, said that the quality of hurricane forecasts would be 'becoming degraded' because of staffing shortages and weather balloon cuts and that he couldn't be confident in them. Flood, the Nebraska Republican, said he found an office sapped of life when he visited with staffers in the agency's Omaha-area office as the federal government was offering early retirement. 'I could see it in their eyes. They were burnt-out. They were concerned. There were people there that, you know, have been there for 30 years that were taking the retirement buyout,' he said. When the office could no longer launch weather balloons, Flood said, his constituents took notice, and he felt compelled to intervene. 'This is not a partisan issue,' Flood said. 'People understand how valuable the National Weather Service is. And a lot of times people take them for granted because they've always been there.' Evan Bush Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. Chase Cain Chase Cain is a meteorologist for NBC News.
