Multiple people were killed after a large tornado ripped through southeastern Missouri Wednesday morning — as the South braced for additional twisters.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed multiple fatalities and injuries after a tornado touched down right before dawn in Bollinger County, about 50 miles south of St. Louis.
“The damage is pretty widespread. It’s just heartbreaking to see it,” Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said.
Parrott said multiple search and rescue operations were underway throughout the county, noting that crews are using chainsaws to cut back trees and brushes to get to some homes.
Justin Gibbs, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Kentucky, noted that the storm that struck Missouri was a “significant tornado,” adding that the powerful twisters can be especially dangerous when they strike at dusk or dawn.
“It’s definitely a nightmare from a warning standpoint,” Gibbs told the Associated Press about the tornado’s timing. “It’s bad anytime, but it’s especially bad at 3:30 in the morning.”
Gibbs estimated that the tornado was likely on the ground for 15 to 20 minutes, longer than the typical twister, which tends to last between 5 to 10 minutes.
Missouri officials in Bollinger County warned residents to avoid the hardest hit areas as first responders are rushing to carry out the search and rescue operations.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said that he plans to visit the damaged areas and vowed to provide resources that the communities need to recover.
The powerful storm comes just days after dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South and Midwest, killing at least 33 people and destroying dozens of homes in Arkansas, Iowa, and Illinois.
Parson, who activated the state National Guard from Friday’s storm response, noted that the order was still in effect on Wednesday.
The same weather systems continue to loom over the states, which are forecasted to see additional storms on Wednesday, including possible twisters and hail.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued tornado, severe thunderstorm and wind advisories for more than 45 million Americans so far.
The NWS predicts the storm system to travel from Missouri up northeast toward the Upper Great Lakes region.