Tornadoes that ravaged southwest Missouri left three people dead on May 23 while Oklahoma faced heavy rain and flooded rivers as a continuous barrage of violent…
Tornadoes that ravaged southwest Missouri left three people dead on May 23 while Oklahoma faced heavy rain and flooded rivers as a continuous barrage of violent weather struck the central United States area, according to local media reports.
The recent casualties upped the death toll in Missouri for the week of May 19 to at least seven. Forecasters said the violent weather, including the heavy rain and threat of damaging winds, are expected to continue.
“It looks to stay quite wet over the next week across the central portion of the country,” meteorologist Mark Chenard of the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center told Reuters.
Chenard said that rain showers from the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma north to Nebraska would bring flooding risks on May 23. He noted that the threat of tornadoes was somewhat diminished but would still persist from the Texas Panhandle through Kansas.
A tornado tore apart buildings located in Missouri’s capital, Jefferson City, as dozens of people sustained injuries. Hospitals reported treating minor injuries related to the weather such as cuts and bruises. Officials also said the tornado caused widespread damage to buildings, trees, cars, and power lines in the capital city.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the large twister moved over the capital before midnight on May 22. The weather service’s St. Louis office confirmed tornadoes touched down near Joplin, Missouri, as local media, including the Joplin Globe, reported at least three dead.
According to the Associated Press, there were no immediate reports of any deaths or missing people in Missouri’s capital city—where about 40,000 reside—as door-to-door checks were being completed.
NWS meteorologist Cory Rothstein said it’s possible the tornado had a 50-mile path and could have been on the ground for 80 minutes.
