At least nine people died late Friday in Laurel County, Ky., the authorities said. More severe weather was expected across North Texas and the southern plains on Saturday.
Tornadoes whipping through Missouri and Kentucky on Friday killed at least 16 people and injured dozens of others, local authorities said.
At least nine people were killed late Friday after a tornado hit Laurel County, Ky., about 150 miles southeast of Louisville, the county sheriff’s office said, adding that other people had suffered severe injuries. Emergency and rescue workers were searching the damaged area for survivors, the office said.
The tornadoes were unleashed by a major storm over the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic that downed power lines and whipped debris through streets. There was severe damage in Missouri, where tornadoes killed at least seven people, five of them in St. Louis, and injured dozens more.
Power outages hit hundreds of thousands of people in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic on Saturday. More than 500,000 customers from Michigan to Tennessee were without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
“Our city is grieving tonight. The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous,” Cara Spencer, the mayor of St. Louis, said at a news conference on Friday night.
Cellphone towers were taken out and traffic lights were down in St. Louis, city authorities said. An overnight curfew was put in place, and officials urged residents to stay away from damaged areas as crews swept through neighborhoods to search for people trapped in their homes. Shelters were also opened for people in need.
A tornado also killed two people in Scott County, in southeastern Missouri, according to the county sheriff’s office.
More storms were expected to bring large hail, strong winds and tornadoes across North Texas and the southern plains on Saturday, the National Weather Service said early in the day.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
