At least 28 people have died in severe weather that swept from the lower Midwest to the South over the weekend, with Missouri and Kentucky suffering the worst of it, authorities said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Sunday afternoon that weather-related deaths in the state had risen to 19 after the death of a female from Russell County.
Earlier, Beshear attributed the deaths to a single tornado initially believed to have touched down at EF3 strength overnight.
“We are hard at work this morning addressing the tragic damage and deaths caused by severe weather Saturday morning,” Beshear said Sunday morning on X. “We are securing emergency housing options and looking into sites for intermediate housing.”
Of the remaining deaths, 17 were in Laurel County and one was in Pulaski County. One of the deceased was a Laurel County firefighter, Beshear said.
“It has taken far too many lives,” Beshear said. “Homes that there isn’t a single wall standing. Homes that have all four walls yet lost the person inside.”
Beshear posted Sunday that the Team Kentucky Storm Relief fund would reach out to families of the dead to cover funeral expenses.
As of Saturday, 10 people remained in critical condition with weather-related injuries, he said.
Survey teams will be on the ground Monday to collect information for the state to apply for federal assistance, Beshear posted. Debris removal plans are also in progress.
Relief of dry weather is expected Sunday, with severe storm risks returning Monday into Tuesday, the National Weather Service predicts. Flash flooding may be possible Tuesday if heavy rain persists.
Officials in Missouri reported seven weather-related deaths since Friday: five in St. Louis County and two in Scott County. Central Missouri will face another chance of severe thunderstorms Sunday night into Monday morning, with threats of large hail and powerful wind.
In Virginia, where parts of the state were subjected to the same system of unstable air, thunderstorms and powerful winds, two people were killed in separate incidents involving falling trees that struck vehicles, authorities said. The deaths were reported in Fairfax County and in Fort Hunt, the latter along a section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway that is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Park Police.
Dry weather is expected in Virginia from Sunday through early Tuesday, according to the NWS.
A spokesperson for St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis said the facilities received over 60 patients in total, with the children’s facility treating 15 and Barnes-Jewish seeing more than 50. Two of the patients at Children’s Hospital were in critical condition. All others have been discharged, the spokesperson said Saturday.
Most of the patients at Barnes-Jewish have been discharged or will be soon, the spokesperson said.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the severe weather, including two reported tornadoes in the area Friday, affected an estimated 5,000 buildings in the city.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Saturday that she has spoken with the governors of Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois and offered them “federal resources and action for the deadly tornadoes and storms.”
“We discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support,” Noem said.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued an alert of enhanced risk for severe weather Sunday through central Kansas to Oklahoma, where the greatest threat of tornadoes will be.
The National Weather Service said 28 tornadoes were reported Friday.
An alert of slight risk of excessive rainfall has also been issued from eastern Kansas and Oklahoma to the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas through Monday morning, the agency said.
More than 49,000 utility customers in Missouri and 26,000 in Kentucky were without power Sunday, according to the utility tracker PowerOutage.us, with power having returned to many residents since Saturday.
