The Daily Populous Saturday May 17th, 2025 evening edition
Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by p_pio

A violent, tornado-spawning storm system tore across the central US, leaving at least 21 people dead in Missouri and southeastern Kentucky as it cut a path of destruction through several states.

The 14 deaths in Kentucky come on the heels of fatalities reported hours earlier on Friday in the St. Louis area, which endured widespread destruction. Seven people were reported dead in Missouri.

In all, large tornadoes have been reported in Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.

The storms damaged homes and downed power lines across the Midwest and Great Lakes, brought by the same system that produced destructive storms and tornadoes Thursday.

About 540,000 homes and businesses across a dozen states were without power as of midday Saturday, with Missouri, Kentucky and Michigan among the hardest hit, according to Poweroutage.us.

It’s part of a multi-day spate of widespread severe weather that will stretch into early next week. As the system that generated deadly tornadoes in Missouri and Kentucky loses strength, another round of severe storms is expected near the border with Mexico, thrusting more than 20 million Americans across the Southwest in the risk zone.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on social media Saturday at least 14 people had died there “but sadly, this number is expected to grow as we receive more information. Please pray for all of our affected families.”

Mahala Watts told CNN affiliate WLKY her family was watching the news after 11 p.m. Friday when their phones started blaring with tornado warnings. She grabbed the dog, and her family took cover in the bathroom in the center of their home in Laurel County.

The storm suddenly roared over her house – as the family was “breathing in all the debris.” They got on their hands and knees, Watts told the station. A bathroom mirror fell on Watts before the roar went silent.

“We were just kind of praying, you know, scared it was going to come back,” she said. “We had no idea the roof was gone. The fridge was blocking the bathroom door.”

Watts told WLKY her family climbed over the refrigerator and stood outside in the dark, fearing another hit. Cars were overturned and debris was strewn about. They used a relative’s car to get to a hospital where they sought refuge before making it to a hotel after the storm passed.

Earlier Saturday, Laurel County sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Gilbert Acciardo had reported nine deaths after a possible tornado in southeastern Kentucky.

Drone video over London, Kentucky, at daylight Saturday showed a vast wasteland of damaged and overturned vehicles and flattened homes as first responders searched heaps of rubble for possible survivors.

In separate video from Laurel County, first responders are seen descending on the Sunshine Hills area, a barren landscape of twisted cars, downed trees and piles of debris.

Deaths were also announced by London Mayor Randall Weddle, CNN affiliate WKYT reported. London is about 75 miles south of Lexington, in Kentucky’s Laurel County.

Extensive damage in the Sunshine Hills area of Laurel County, Kentucky, in the early hours of Saturday, following a possible tornado. Laurel County Fiscal Court

“I have never personally witnessed what I‘ve witnessed here tonight. There’s a lot of devastation,” Weddle told WKYT.

The National Weather Service reported a radar-confirmed, “large, extremely dangerous” tornado sweeping east across lower Kentucky shortly after midnight.

Video and photos from southeastern Kentucky show a trail of destruction that began in Pulaski County before moving east into neighboring Laurel County.

The Laurel County Fiscal Court posted videos of widespread damage to buildings, cars, trees and infrastructure in the wake of the possible tornado.

Police in Corbin, south of London, were responding to mutual aid calls for tornado victims and described the devastation as overwhelming.

“Stop and pray for Laurel County residents and victims of the tornado that touched down there,” the department wrote.

Heavy damage can be seen in Somerset, a city in Pulaski County to the west of London, where emergency officials urged residents to stay indoors.

“The southern side of the city has been hit by a possible tornado!” the Somerset Fire Department posted on social media around 11 p.m. Friday. “Please avoid the area, poles and power lines are down!”

Pulaski County Judge Executive Marshall Todd declared a state of emergency, and crews are working on cleanup efforts, county spokesperson John Alexander told CNN.

A large tree blocks a road after a severe storm moved through St. Louis on Friday. Jeff Roberson/AP

A storm that produced a devastating tornado in the St. Louis area Friday afternoon has left five people dead and many others injured, according to local authorities. Two others died elsewhere in Missouri.

“We’re just a city that’s really grieving,” the city’s new mayor, Cara Spencer, told reporters Saturday. About 5,000 buildings have been impacted by the severe weather but she noted, “This community is coming together in a truly, truly amazing way.”

Spencer called the event “one of the worst storms” in the city’s history. A curfew will remain in place overnight and thousands of homes and businesses still had no power. Nearly 40 people were injured, the mayor said.

First responders looking for victims or people in distress searched about 4,000 residences. More technical searches with boom microphones and cameras were being conducted Saturday.

Gov. Mike Kehoe said he has a﻿lready been in contact with federal officials about disaster relief.

One victim was identified as Patricia Pendleton, her family told CNN affiliate KMOV, which reported the storm caused a roof to collapse at Centennial Christian Church. She had been at the church serving lunches before the storm.

Ben Herzog, a science and operations officer with the National Weather Service, said a tornado warning was issued at 2:34 p.m Friday and a “likely tornado” touched down seven to eight minutes after that. He said the agency was surveying the damage and had no information on the intensity, but estimates are that winds reached 100 mph.

Residents inspect their home after a tornado tore off the back wall of a two-story house in St. Louis, Missouri. Lawrence Bryant/Reuters

His message for residents: “I think the biggest thing would be staying away if you don’t need to be around.”

Sarah Russell, commissioner of the City Emergency Management Agency in St. Louis, said the citywide system of tornado sirens was being replaced and had undergone testing on Thursday. She said residents were encouraged to rely on multiple warning systems, including mobile apps and weather radio.

Some of the tornado sirens did not go off, which will be investigated, said Russell. “We’re looking into that,” she told reporters Saturday. The focus now is on life-saving measures in the community, she added.

Fifteen patients with storm-related injuries went to St. Louis Children’s Hospital and three were admitted, officials said. Additionally, Barnes-Jewish Hospital received between 50 and 60 people injured in the storm; most have been discharged.

More than 130 miles to the south, in Scott County, two others were killed during Friday’s storms, Sheriff Derick Wheetley announced on social media.

Several others were taken to medical facilities, “with injuries ranging from minor to severe,” the sheriff added.

“The tornado moved from the eastern part of the county, leaving behind a trail of destruction, with multiple homes completely lost and areas left unrecognizable,” the sheriff said.

A house lies collapsed under a mountain of bricks, after a tornado struck in St. Louis, on Friday. Lawrence Bryant/Reuters

As the system that hit Missouri and Kentucky weakens and pushes across the Southeast, another round of severe storms threatens the Great Plains and Texas.

The threat of level three out of five severe storms will impact the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex Saturday evening, with large hail, damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes.

The possibility of more severe weather stretches through Tuesday in the Great Plains and the lower Mississippi River Valley.

The Plains will remain the main focus of severe weather on Sunday and Monday as well, with damaging storms possible in much of Oklahoma and Kansas. The severe thunderstorm threat will then shift back into parts of the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.

drHobbes88 on May 17th, 2025 at 14:08 UTC »

The NWS station in Jackson that is responsible for some of these areas is so understaffed that they close at night. The tornado that hit London, KY was very obviously dangerous and known to be on the ground for almost an hour before it hit the town. But proper alerts were not sent out to all the people that were sleeping because there was no one to send them. This is what everyone against the cuts was warning about.

Disc-Golf-Kid on May 17th, 2025 at 14:07 UTC »

Hank Green did a video yesterday that was passive aggressively about this. He said we don’t know when we don’t die, and how so much advancement and regulations have saved millions of lives without ever making a headline.

Ab47203 on May 17th, 2025 at 13:07 UTC »

The NOAA radio nearest to me got taken down and I sat through one of these tornadoes with NO WEATHER UPDATES because of it. Thanks defunding. It definitely wouldn't have been helpful to know where the tornado was and which direction it was moving and how fast. Clearly government waste.