At least 21 killed, dozens injured as suspected tornadoes hit Missouri and

At least 21 people were killed when severe weather, including possible tornadoes, swept through parts of Missouri and Kentucky from Friday into Saturday morning, authorities said.

Fourteen were dead in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear said on X Saturday morning. “Sadly, this number is expected to grow as we receive more information,” he added.

Laurel County, Kentucky, Sheriff John Root, reported “numerous severe injuries.” He said a tornado touched down late Friday night and that the search for survivors continued.

In Missouri, five were killed in St. Louis County, and two others in Scott County, according to officials.

Speaking at a news conference Friday night, St. Louis officials said over 5,000 homes may have been affected by the outbreak of severe weather.

A spokesperson for both St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital said the facilities have received over 60 patients in total, with the children’s facility getting 15 and Barnes-Jewish seeing around 50 to 60, who were injured as a result of the severe weather. Three of the children’s hospital patients have been admitted, with two in critical condition, while all others have been discharged.

Some of those at Barnes-Jewish were admitted but most have been discharged or will be discharged soon, the spokesperson said.

At the Friday night news conference, Mayor Cara Spencer announced that the number of fatalities has risen from four to five. She had said earlier that two of the dead were killed in North City, where a vortex was reported.

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said severe weather hit about 20 square blocks of the city.

St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy said search-and-rescue operations were carried out with the help of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and surrounding county first responders.

“It’s all hands on deck to rescue as many people as we can and save lives,” he told NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis Friday.

The spokesperson said all but two patients at the children’s facility were expected to be released Friday night; one was reported earlier to be in critical condition. Some of those at Barnes-Jewish were to be released, while others were said to be in serious condition, the spokesperson said.

At the late news conference, Mayor Cara Spencer announced that the number of fatalities has risen from four to five. She had said earlier that two of the dead were killed in North City, where a vortex was reported.

A northern swath of the city from Forest Park to the northern boundary was subject of a curfew through 6 a.m., the mayor said.

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said severe weather hit about 20 square blocks of the city.

St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy said search-and-rescue operations were still underway with the help of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and surrounding county first responders.

“It’s all hands on deck to rescue as many people as we can and save lives,” he told NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis.

Search crews will find much darkness in the city, with more than 40,000 utility customers in the St. Louis region without power Friday night, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us. Missouri has more than 97,000 customers in the dark, according to the site.

The tornado was reported after 2:30 p.m. in the city near Forest Park and moving east toward Granite City, Illinois, said National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler.

Its force level is unlikely to be known until Saturday when weather service spotters are able to get to the scene and measure damage, tracks and other elements of the vortex, he said.

The weather service office that covers St. Louis later said on X, “Damage reports and radar imagery suggest a tornado likely occurred across parts St Louis this afternoon. We will have a survey team on the ground tomorrow to confirm and assign a rating.”

KSDK reported that two tornadoes may have touched down in the region on Friday. The National Weather Service said it was working to confirm the second twister.

The station reported that a man was rescued from the rubble of a home after an hourslong operation. The residence was most likely smashed by a tornado or the severe weather’s associated potent winds in the area Friday, the station said.

The station reported that a man was rescued from the rubble of a home after an hourslong operation. The residence was most likely smashed by a tornado or the severe weather’s associated potent winds in the area Friday, the station…