According to authorities, severe weather that raced from the lower Midwest to the South over the weekend killed at least 28 people, with Missouri and Kentucky bearing the worst of the damage.
Following the death of a woman from Russell County, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared Sunday afternoon that the state’s total number of weather-related fatalities had increased to 19.
Beshear earlier blamed the fatalities on a single tornado that was first thought to have struck overnight at EF3 strength.
“We are hard at work this morning addressing the tragic damage and deaths caused by severe weather Saturday morning,” Beshear stated on Sunday. “We are securing emergency housing options and looking into sites for intermediate housing.”
One fatality occurred in Pulaski County, and the other 17 occurred in Laurel County. A firefighter from Laurel County was among the dead, according to Beshear.
“It has taken far too many lives,” Beshear stated. “Homes that there isn’t a single wall standing. Homes that have all four walls yet lost the person inside.”
Beshear announced on Sunday that funeral costs would be covered by the Team Kentucky Storm Relief fund reaching out to the deceased’s relatives.
Ten patients with weather-related injuries were still in serious condition as of Saturday, he said.
According to Beshear, survey teams will be on the ground on Monday to gather data so the state can submit an application for federal help. Plans for debris clearance are also underway.
The National Weather Service says Sunday will bring relief from dry weather, but Monday and Tuesday will bring the possibility of severe storms again. If the heavy rain continues on Tuesday, flash floods could occur.
Since Friday, Missouri officials have documented seven weather-related fatalities, including two in Scott County and five in St. Louis County. Another risk of severe thunderstorms with the potential for huge hail and strong winds is expected for central Missouri on Sunday night and Monday morning.
Two persons were killed in separate events involving fallen trees that impacted automobiles in Virginia, where the same system of unstable air, thunderstorms, and strong winds affected areas of the state, according to authorities. Both Fairfax County and Fort Hunt, the latter near a portion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway that falls under the purview of the U.S. Park Police, reported the deaths.
The NWS predicts dry weather in Virginia from Sunday through early Tuesday.
According to a representative for Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the two hospitals saw more than 60 patients in total, with Barnes-Jewish seeing more than 50 people and the children’s facility treating 15. At Children’s Hospital, two of the patients were critically ill. The representative stated on Saturday that everyone else had been released.
According to the spokeswoman, the majority of Barnes-Jewish’s patients have been released or will be shortly.
An estimated 5,000 buildings in the city were impacted by the severe weather, which included two tornadoes reported in the area on Friday, according to St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer.
Speaking with the governors of Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Saturday that she has extended an offer of “federal resources and action for the deadly tornadoes and storms.”
“We discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support,” Noem continued.
Read Also: Tornado Outbreak in Missouri: 5 Dead, Over 5,000 Homes Damaged Near St. Louis
With tornadoes being the biggest concern, the NWS Storm Prediction Centre has issued an increased risk for severe weather alert for Sunday from central Kansas to Oklahoma.
There were 28 tornadoes reported on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
According to the EPA, through Monday morning, there is a small danger of excessive rainfall from eastern Kansas and Oklahoma to the Ozark Mountains in Missouri and Arkansas.
The utility tracker PowerOutage.us reports that 26,000 utility customers in Kentucky and over 49,000 in Missouri remained without power on Sunday, but many homeowners had their power back since Saturday.
