On Air Now

The Chill Out Zone

10:00pm - Midnight

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

'Mass casualty event' declared as tornadoes hit Kentucky and Missouri

At least 21 people have died after tornadoes hit two US states, according to local officials.

Fourteen people have died in Kentucky, its governor Andy Beshear said, while seven have died in Missouri.

The weather system also saw tornadoes tear through Wisconsin, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.

In the city of St Louis, five people were confirmed dead and more than 5,000 homes were damaged, mayor Cara Spencer said on Saturday.

The storm system originally hit Scott County, 130 miles south of St Louis, on Friday, killing two people, Sheriff Derick Wheetley said.

The devastation that ensued saw roofs torn off buildings, blown-out windows, toppled trees, and power lines.

St Louis mayor Cara Spencer said: "Our city is grieving tonight. The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous."

Dozens of people are believed to have been injured and in hospital, but the exact numbers in Missouri have not been confirmed.

Kentucky officials described the situation there as a "mass casualty event" after the weather system tore across Laurel County late on Friday.

Several people were taken to hospital, buildings were damaged, and a car flipped over on a busy highway, local officials reported.

Laurel County Sheriff's Office spokesman Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers had "been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors".

Kentucky governor Mr Beshear wrote on X that the number of dead in the state was likely to increase from 14 "as we receive more information".

Read more from Sky News:
Seven on the run after 'Shawshank' jail escape
US rapper charged with GBH in UK

Further devastation expected in other states

The National Weather Service warned of further devastation hitting Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma on Saturday.

"Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts, and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains," it said on its website.

The Midwest tornadoes were also expected to hit Illinois, eventually stretching to New Jersey and the Atlantic coast.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2025: 'Mass casualty event' declared as tornadoes hit Kentucky and Missouri

Did you find this article useful?

This is the Coast is committed to providing a daily local news service for the Yorkshire Coast. We are a small locally owned and operated business which employs professional journalists and reporters. We do not receive any public funding or grants and we are entirely funded by our local commercial operations. We enjoy fabulous support from local businesses who work with us on their advertising and marketing campaigns, but the cost of providing high quality, well researched, fact checked local news coverage is significant.

If you appreciate what This is the Coast does, and would like to help support our journalism, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis today.

A small contribution from all our readers would really help support independent journalism for the Yorkshire Coast.

More from Video

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Filey

    Low-level cloud

    High: 13°C | Low: 9°C

  • Whitby

    Low-level cloud

    High: 13°C | Low: 9°C

  • Bridlington

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Hornsea

    Medium-level cloud

    High: 14°C | Low: 9°C

  • Driffield

    Sunny intervals

    High: 17°C | Low: 9°C

News