Tornadoes Kill Three in Missouri as Midwest Storms Continue

By David E. Hubler
Contributor, EDM Digest

The spring storm system ravaging the Midwest this week continued unabated Wednesday night. At least 29 tornadoes touched down in the past 24 hours, with three reported deaths and several injuries in Golden City, Missouri.

“Law enforcement can confirm three fatalities in the Golden City area of Barton County and several injuries in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County,” the Missouri Department of Public Safety said in its Twitter post.

A tornado with a funnel wider than its height roared through Jefferson City, Missouri, shortly before midnight, “sending debris as high as 13,000 feet into the air,” CNN reported.

No deaths were reported in the state capital, but at least nine people were transported to area hospitals, Missouri Department of Public Safety spokesperson Mike O’Connell said early Thursday.

Missouri Governor Prays for Those Still Trapped in Midwest Tornado’s Damage

“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,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons tweeted.

“We don’t know the number of tornadoes. We really don’t know the extent of the damage until we get out there,” Doug Cramer, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield, said late Wednesday. “Things are very preliminary, and we are still issuing tornado warnings, so right now it’s kind of our focus to get through the night with the flash flood and the tornado warnings.”

More tornadoes are expected today across a wide swath of the Midwest, from Lubbock, Texas, through Kansas City to Columbus, Ohio, and as far east as Philadelphia, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.

A total of 171 tornadoes have been reported since last Friday, mostly in Missouri and Oklahoma. Tornadoes, thunderstorms and torrential rains across the Midwest are forecast to continue into next week, including the Memorial Day holiday, the Weather Channel said.