A destructive storm battered St. Louis on Friday afternoon, leaving at least five people dead, local officials confirmed.
The storm, which possibly included a tornado, tore roofs off buildings and shattered windows across the city. It ripped bricks off structures, brought down power lines, and uprooted trees.
Figure 1: Uprooted trees over the metrolink tracks
Mayor confirms widespread impact
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the storm affected over 5,000 homes and disrupted daily life. She confirmed approximately 100,000 customers were without power by Friday night.
“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said. She added that the city was declaring an emergency and imposed an overnight curfew in the most damaged areas.
Hospitals treat dozens of storm victims
Barnes-Jewish Hospital admitted between 20 and 30 people with storm-related injuries. Some patients were in serious condition, but most would be discharged by Friday night, said hospital spokesperson Laura High.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital received 15 patients. Two of them were expected to remain hospitalised through the weekend.
Tornado likely touched down in Clayton
The National Weather Service said radar indicated a tornado touched down in Clayton, Missouri, between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. The twister struck near Forest Park, home to the Saint Louis Zoo and site of the 1904 World’s Fair.
“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” said meteorologist Marshall Pfahler.
Church collapses during storm
One person died when part of the Centennial Christian Church building collapsed. Two others were rescued from the debris, said St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan.
Stacy Clark confirmed that his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died inside the church. He described her as a committed church volunteer with many responsibilities, including singing in the choir.
Centennial Christian Church posted on Facebook, “Pray for our church.”
Figure 2: Areas with power outage
Residents recount storm experience
Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, described the moment the storm hit. “And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” he said. He and his brother took shelter in the basement. “Everything was tore up,” he added.
Businesses and traffic severely affected
The Harlem Tap Room sustained significant damage when upper stories of its brick building collapsed. About 20 people inside moved to the back of the venue and avoided injury, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Traffic gridlock gripped the city as downed trees and broken traffic lights disrupted the afternoon commute. Officials urged people to remain indoors.
Figure 3: The Harlem Tap Room incurred heavy damages
Museum-goers take shelter underground
John Randle, a 19-year-old student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, took shelter in the St. Louis Art Museum. He and his girlfriend joined about 150 others in the basement.
“You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” Randle said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”
Zoo to remain closed for recovery
Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson Christy Childs confirmed the zoo would stay closed on Saturday. Downed trees and damage prevented reopening. Childs said no animals, staff, or visitors were injured.
Figure 4: Storm damage outside the zoo
Storms strike wider Midwest and Appalachia
The same system triggered tornadoes in Wisconsin, left thousands without power in the Great Lakes, and brought extreme heat to Texas.
Weather forecasters warned that severe storms with tornadoes, hail, and strong winds could hit parts of Appalachia and the Midwest through Friday night.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency near Marion, Illinois, warning of life-threatening conditions. Damage reports were not immediately available.
Dust storm sweeps through Chicago region
A dust storm warning was issued in the Chicago area Friday night. A wall of dust stretched 100 miles from southwest of Chicago into northern Indiana, severely reducing visibility.
Large hail and winds pose risk
The National Weather Service warned residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Ohio to expect severe storms. Baseball-sized hail and winds over 120 kilometres per hour were forecast.
The Storm Prediction Center warned of “strong, potentially long-track tornadoes and very large hail.”
Power companies mobilise for response
Appalachian Power, serving one million customers across West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee, deployed 1,700 additional workers. These crews were brought in to assist in restoring power.
Forecasters warn Tennessee residents
Faith Borden of the National Weather Service’s Nashville office said middle Tennessee could expect all forms of severe weather. “Winds up to 70 mph. We’re talking seriously large hail, up to 3 inches, which for us is big hail,” she said.
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Texas swelters under heat wave
Texas endured high temperatures as a heat advisory covered San Antonio and Austin. Temperatures reached between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. Areas along the southern East Coast also experienced temperatures in the 30s.
Meteorologist Jason Runyen warned of heat exhaustion risks. “There are concerns of heat exhaustion for people that aren’t taking proper precautions when they’re outdoors,” he said. He advised regular breaks and hydration.
Storms hit northern states overnight
On Thursday night, storms with strong winds, thunder, and lightning hit Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana, and Michigan. Thousands lost power and many trees were downed.
Several tornadoes touched down in central Wisconsin. Meteorologist Timm Uhlmann said the damage was still being assessed. He confirmed a report of softball-sized hail in Eau Claire.
Surveys underway across Michigan
Meteorologist Steven Freitag confirmed the weather service was conducting surveys in Michigan to confirm tornado activity.
Friday evening saw partial power restoration across Michigan. However, over 200,000 customers remained without electricity. In Indiana, 60,000 were without power. Illinois and Kentucky also reported 27,000 outages.
Severe weather delays major event
Storms in Chicago forced a two-hour delay for Beyoncé’s Thursday concert at Soldier Field. Weather threats continued into Friday evening.
