KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least five people were killed when a tornado ripped through southeastern Missouri during the early-morning hours Wednesday, officials say.
The tornado came through Bollinger County at about 3:45 a.m., according to the St. Clair Fire Protection District. Bollinger County is about 120 miles south of St. Louis. It centered around the Grassy and Glenallen areas of Bollinger County, the sheriff’s office said.
“The damage is pretty widespread. It’s just heartbreaking to see it,” Sgt. Clark Parrott with Missouri State Highway Patrol told The Associated Press.
The Bollinger County Sheriff’s Office said in an 11:47 a.m. Facebook post that five people have been confirmed dead. Names of the victims have not yet been publicly disclosed.
“Throughout the early morning and continuing now, efforts for search and rescue and underway,” according to the sheriff.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center called the twister an EF2 or EF3.
Highway patrol officers are assisting in search and rescue efforts, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said.
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called the news of the tornado “tragic.”
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased,” he said. “My team has already been in touch with the White House and local leaders and stands ready, willing, and able to assist wherever possible.”
A tornado warning remained in effect Wednesday morning in parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
“Just absolutely devastating,” Missouri-based weather page Hyperlocal Extreme Weather said in a Facebook post.
The tornado caused houses to be removed from their foundations, Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team said.
“Strips of tin roofing were wrapped around the branches of trees that remained standing,” the nonprofit organization said. “Many other big trees were shredded into kindling or pulled out of the ground by their roots.”
It’s believed the tornado was on the ground for 15-20 miles, National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Gibbs told KMBC.
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