Severe storms that swept through the US states of Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia have left more than 25 people dead, causing widespread destruction and cutting off power to nearly 200,000 residents, authorities reported on Saturday.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on X that at least 18 people had died in the storms on Friday night, while local officials in Missouri reported seven deaths there.
Two people were also killed by falling trees in Virginia, according to local media.
Jamie Burns, 38, who lives with her husband and son in a trailer home in London, Kentucky, sought shelter in her sister’s basement while the storm destroyed between 100 and 200 houses in the area.
“Things that have been here longer than I have, things that have been here for over 30 years, are just flat. It’s wild, because you’ll look at one area and it’s just smashed… totally flattened, like, not there anymore,” Burns told AFP in a phone interview, her voice shaking.
Drone footage published by local media showed scenes of devastation in London, with homes levelled and reduced to rubble, tree trunks standing bare without branches.
Beshear added that over 100,000 people have been left without power in Kentucky, and five counties have declared a state of emergency.
Eastern Kentucky, historically known for its coal mines, is one of the poorest regions in the US.
“A lot of us live in manufactured homes that aren’t safe for tornado weather,” Burns said.
‘One of the Worst Storms’
In Missouri, five people were killed in the major city of St. Louis, in what authorities described as one of the worst storms in the city’s history, with two additional deaths in Scott County, according to the State Highway Patrol.
Over 80,000 people were left without power, and three shelters were opened in the area. More severe weather was predicted for Sunday night and Monday.
When asked whether it was the worst storm to hit St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer replied, “I would describe this as one of the worst storms — absolutely. The devastation is truly heartbreaking.”
She added that 38 people in the city were injured, and around 5,000 buildings were damaged.In one St. Louis neighbourhood, a church was heavily damaged, according to CBS footage, and rescue workers continued to treat victims near the building on Saturday morning.
“It’s horrific for a tornado to come through here and cause this much damage to the residents and also to the church. Our hearts are broken,” said Derrick Perkins, a pastor at Centennial Christian Church, speaking to CBS.
Bruce Madison, who also works at the church, said the community was coming together in the face of the tragedy.
While there were warnings ahead of the severe weather—Beshear had declared a state of emergency on Friday—the death toll may raise concerns about whether the sharp cuts made by the Trump administration have left National Weather Service forecasting teams dangerously understaffed.
An estimated 500 out of 4,200 NWS employees have been fired or taken early retirement this year, according to the Washington Post.
The US experienced the second-highest number of tornadoes on record last year, with nearly 1,800, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), second only to 2004.