The death toll from tornadoes hitting the US Midwest since last night has risen to at least 25, with Kentucky and Missouri—where 18 and seven people have died, respectively—being the hardest hit so far.
As of midday Saturday, some 540,000 businesses and homes were still without power in up to a dozen states due to the severe storms that accompanied the tornadoes. Michigan, Missouri, and Kentucky are among the hardest hit states, according to reports compiled by CNN.
Meteorological authorities across the country have stated that this extreme weather will continue into the first few days of next week and have forecast “another round of severe storms” near the Mexican border, although the system that spawned the deadly tornadoes in Missouri and Kentucky has been weakening.
In Kentucky, Laurel County was the hardest hit. There, at least nine deaths have been reported, according to statements from the county sheriff’s spokesman, Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, reported by the same outlet.
Previously, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had warned—after confirming the provisional death toll—that the death toll would almost certainly rise in the coming hours as emergency services investigated the hardest-hit areas.
In the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, five people have died, as confirmed by the city’s mayor, Cara Spencer. “The loss of life and destruction that Saint Louis has suffered as a result of today’s storm is horrendous, and my thoughts are with all whose lives were disrupted today,” she said.
Two more people have died and 40 more have been injured in other parts of the state, where the storms in Missouri have also caused buildings to collapse and roofs to be ripped off by the force of the wind, according to ABC News.
The mayor has asked residents not to leave their homes due to the risk of the storm hitting the city again. “In the coming days, we will have many opportunities to help and much work to do. But for tonight, please stay home and allow our rescuers to do their work,” she said.
