At least four people have died after severe weather, including possible tornadoes, pushed through St. Louis on Friday afternoon.
Storms tore roofs off buildings and damaged trees and power lines, causing part of a church in the St. Louis area to collapse. One of the people who died amid the weather outbreak was killed there.
According to National Weather Service radar, a likely tornado touched down in the Forest Park area of St. Louis in the afternoon, but its official status has yet to be confirmed.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the city was declaring an emergency.
“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said.
Downed trees and damaged infrastructure closed the St. Louis Zoo for Saturday, caused gridlock at intersections and led local authorities to ask people to stay home.
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The storms in St. Louis were part of a severe, wide-reaching system that ripped through the Midwest on Thursday and earlier on Friday.
As the storms continue, The National Weather Service says baseball-sized hail is possible across parts of Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio.
Forecasters also warned of a potential dust storm Friday night, stretching from Chicago to northern Indiana.
Record heat fueled the storms across Wisconsin and Minnesota on Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center reported at least 14 tornado sightings.
Thousands were without power in the Great Lakes region and Texas saw some of the highest temperatures ever this early in the season.
