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| Missouri Tornadoes Live Updates: Violent Storms Kill 3 | |
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| CARTHAGE, Mo. — A series of powerful tornadoes whipped across the Midwest late Wednesday, killing at least three people in southwestern Missouri and destroying buildings and homes in that state’s capital, Jefferson City. | CARTHAGE, Mo. — A series of powerful tornadoes whipped across the Midwest late Wednesday, killing at least three people in southwestern Missouri and destroying buildings and homes in that state’s capital, Jefferson City. |
| About 25 people were believed to be injured in Jefferson City, where roofs were ripped from their buildings and cars were scattered along debris-filled roads. The full scale of the devastation was not immediately clear, but emergency officials were going door-to-door searching for survivors and shelters were opened. | About 25 people were believed to be injured in Jefferson City, where roofs were ripped from their buildings and cars were scattered along debris-filled roads. The full scale of the devastation was not immediately clear, but emergency officials were going door-to-door searching for survivors and shelters were opened. |
| Officials said that roughly three square miles of Jefferson City had been especially hard hit, and that flying trees and debris were responsible for some of the injuries that had been tallied in the capital. | |
| Jay Banwell, a retired officer with the Army National Guard, said he awoke to alerts on his phone and the sound of whipping wind. When he rolled out of bed to look outside, the glass in his bedroom window “burst with an awful sound,” and the wind sucked his bedroom door closed. | Jay Banwell, a retired officer with the Army National Guard, said he awoke to alerts on his phone and the sound of whipping wind. When he rolled out of bed to look outside, the glass in his bedroom window “burst with an awful sound,” and the wind sucked his bedroom door closed. |
| “I could not jar my door loose to get out of my room,” said Mr. Banwell, 56. “I was basically in a room of swirling glass.” | “I could not jar my door loose to get out of my room,” said Mr. Banwell, 56. “I was basically in a room of swirling glass.” |
| In all, the National Weather Service said it was investigating 34 reports of tornadoes across Oklahoma and Missouri on Wednesday, as severe storms moved northeast from Texas along a virtually straight diagonal line into western Illinois. | |
| At least three people were killed in a separate tornado in Golden City, Mo., which is about a two-hour drive southeast of the Kansas City area. | At least three people were killed in a separate tornado in Golden City, Mo., which is about a two-hour drive southeast of the Kansas City area. |
| The victims included Kenneth G. Harris, 86, and Opal P. Harris, 83, who were found 200 yards from their home, according to Sgt. John Lueckenhoff, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The wood-frame home was “completely demolished,” he said. It is unclear whether the couple were inside when the tornado struck or had attempted to flee as it approached. | |
| Linda Brunner, who lives in the area, said she went past the Harris’s home as she drove through town to see if she could help anyone with cleanup. The house “must have taken a direct hit,” she said. “There’s nothing left.” | |
| The body of the third victim, Betty Berg, 56, was found partially under her mobile home, which was “tore up and rolled over,” Sergeant Lueckenhoff said. Ms. Berg’s husband, Mark, also 56, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital, he added. | |
| [What to do if a tornado threatens your area.] | [What to do if a tornado threatens your area.] |
| In addition to Jefferson City and Golden City, the governor’s office said the hardest-hit areas appeared to be Carl Junction and Eldon. | In addition to Jefferson City and Golden City, the governor’s office said the hardest-hit areas appeared to be Carl Junction and Eldon. |
| “We are very thankful we didn’t have any more fatalities than we did,” Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri said Thursday. “But three is too many.” | “We are very thankful we didn’t have any more fatalities than we did,” Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri said Thursday. “But three is too many.” |
| Mr. Parson, who spoke to reporters in Jefferson City, warned that the death toll could rise. | Mr. Parson, who spoke to reporters in Jefferson City, warned that the death toll could rise. |
| Golden City and Carl Junction are in the southwest corner of the state, near Joplin. The storms on Wednesday hit on the eighth anniversary of a tornado that killed 161 people in Joplin, one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in American history. | Golden City and Carl Junction are in the southwest corner of the state, near Joplin. The storms on Wednesday hit on the eighth anniversary of a tornado that killed 161 people in Joplin, one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in American history. |
| Carl Junction, a town of 7,300 people, has been hit before, too. On May 4, 2003, a tornado swept through the center of the town, damaging schools, City Hall, dozens of homes and a few businesses. That storm was part of a multistate tornado outbreak that also wrecked much of the Missouri cities of Pierce City and Stockton. | Carl Junction, a town of 7,300 people, has been hit before, too. On May 4, 2003, a tornado swept through the center of the town, damaging schools, City Hall, dozens of homes and a few businesses. That storm was part of a multistate tornado outbreak that also wrecked much of the Missouri cities of Pierce City and Stockton. |
| Wednesday’s tornado hit the Briarbrook section of Carl Junction, a more affluent part of town, built around the Briarbrook Country Club and Golf Course. | Wednesday’s tornado hit the Briarbrook section of Carl Junction, a more affluent part of town, built around the Briarbrook Country Club and Golf Course. |
| Mike O’Connell, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, said “scores of houses and buildings have been extensively damaged.” | Mike O’Connell, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, said “scores of houses and buildings have been extensively damaged.” |
| The State Capitol building and the governor’s mansion in Jefferson City escaped unscathed, but the roof of a Department of Labor building was badly damaged, law enforcement officials said. The site of the former Missouri State Penitentiary, which is now a tourist attraction near the capitol building, also suffered significant damage. | The State Capitol building and the governor’s mansion in Jefferson City escaped unscathed, but the roof of a Department of Labor building was badly damaged, law enforcement officials said. The site of the former Missouri State Penitentiary, which is now a tourist attraction near the capitol building, also suffered significant damage. |
| At Lincoln University, a historically black college in Jefferson City, the storm tore the roof off the president’s residence — with the president inside. She escaped serious injury, said Misty Young, a university spokeswoman. “She was home, but went into the basement and rode out the storm,” Ms. Young said. | At Lincoln University, a historically black college in Jefferson City, the storm tore the roof off the president’s residence — with the president inside. She escaped serious injury, said Misty Young, a university spokeswoman. “She was home, but went into the basement and rode out the storm,” Ms. Young said. |
| Ms. Young said the residence would “take months to repair.” Some other university buildings suffered minor damage, she added, but only a few people were on campus because courses have ended for the semester. Summer session will begin next week as planned. | Ms. Young said the residence would “take months to repair.” Some other university buildings suffered minor damage, she added, but only a few people were on campus because courses have ended for the semester. Summer session will begin next week as planned. |
| The storm touched down on a cluster of car dealerships along a highway outside town, seriously damaging nearly all of the 500 cars on the lot, said Jay Schnieders, a general manager at the Riley Auto Group. | The storm touched down on a cluster of car dealerships along a highway outside town, seriously damaging nearly all of the 500 cars on the lot, said Jay Schnieders, a general manager at the Riley Auto Group. |
| “Our service department is gone,” he said. “Our cars, they are just smashed and twisted and on top of each other. I’ve never seen anything like it.” | “Our service department is gone,” he said. “Our cars, they are just smashed and twisted and on top of each other. I’ve never seen anything like it.” |
| Because of debris littering streets and concern that some buildings were in danger of collapse, Mr. O’Connell said nonessential state employees had been asked to stay home on Thursday. | Because of debris littering streets and concern that some buildings were in danger of collapse, Mr. O’Connell said nonessential state employees had been asked to stay home on Thursday. |
| Officials warned that levees could be overtopped, and flooding was possible in Jefferson City on Thursday as floodwaters moved down the Missouri River. Many parts of the Midwest have sustained extensive flooding this spring, and more rain is predicted. | |
| “Everything here is already saturated,” said Chris Franks, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Kansas City, Mo. “We can’t take a lot more rainfall, and the forecast calls for a lot more rain early into next week.” | |
| “A lot of people are focusing on the tornadoes right now,” said Patrick Marsh, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center. “And I don't want to take away from the threat that they pose, but I think what is going to become the big story across the central part of the United States is the incredible flooding that we're going to see.” | |
| That floodwater, beyond being an independent risk, may also make it harder for people to seek shelter from tornadoes. | |
| “A lot of these basements and storm shelters are going to start flooding out,” Dr. Marsh said. “And so you might need to think about an alternative place to seek shelter, should one of your primary below ground shelters become flooded.” | |
| The tornadoes in Missouri were among the most violent bursts of severe weather in a week when forecasters feared life-threatening storms. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., had issued a “high” risk outlook for Oklahoma and Texas on Monday, an unusually grave indication of worrisome conditions. | |
| Although some tornadoes formed on Monday, the worst of the week’s weather seemed to be unleashed Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday. | Although some tornadoes formed on Monday, the worst of the week’s weather seemed to be unleashed Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday. |
| Tornado sirens went off in Jefferson City after 11 p.m. on Wednesday. “Violent tornado confirmed — shelter now!” the National Weather Service office in St. Louis warned the city’s 40,000 residents. | Tornado sirens went off in Jefferson City after 11 p.m. on Wednesday. “Violent tornado confirmed — shelter now!” the National Weather Service office in St. Louis warned the city’s 40,000 residents. |
| Not long after the storm had roared through Jefferson City, parts of the capital were cloaked in darkness, with the only illumination coming from police lights and cellphones. | Not long after the storm had roared through Jefferson City, parts of the capital were cloaked in darkness, with the only illumination coming from police lights and cellphones. |
| Police officers blocked streets, including access to an apartment complex that the authorities feared was unstable. | Police officers blocked streets, including access to an apartment complex that the authorities feared was unstable. |
| Wayne Weldon, who is 75 and a double amputee, rode out the storm at home. When it was over, there was a hole in the roof in his guest bedroom, not far from where he took shelter. “I could see the sky,” he said. | Wayne Weldon, who is 75 and a double amputee, rode out the storm at home. When it was over, there was a hole in the roof in his guest bedroom, not far from where he took shelter. “I could see the sky,” he said. |
| A truck driver, David Bell, told CNN that he was driving on the highway with 44,500 pounds of soda in his trailer when he pulled over and his windshield exploded. He said the tornado swept up his truck and slammed it to the ground, trapping him inside. | A truck driver, David Bell, told CNN that he was driving on the highway with 44,500 pounds of soda in his trailer when he pulled over and his windshield exploded. He said the tornado swept up his truck and slammed it to the ground, trapping him inside. |
| He used a pocketknife to cut himself out of his seatbelt, he said, and climbed through the front windshield. “I’m grateful to be alive,” he said. | He used a pocketknife to cut himself out of his seatbelt, he said, and climbed through the front windshield. “I’m grateful to be alive,” he said. |
| Two barges that broke free Wednesday night on the flooded Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, prompting officials to issue an urgent evacuation warning, struck a dam on Thursday around noon but appeared to cause no major damage. | Two barges that broke free Wednesday night on the flooded Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, prompting officials to issue an urgent evacuation warning, struck a dam on Thursday around noon but appeared to cause no major damage. |
| For hours, the loose barges caused a slow-motion panic in the small town of Webbers Falls. The authorities closed bridges, and town officials posted an urgent message Wednesday night on Facebook: “Evacuate Webbers Falls immediately. The barges are loose and has the potential to hit the lock and dam 16. if the dam breaks it will be catastrophic!! Leave now!!” | For hours, the loose barges caused a slow-motion panic in the small town of Webbers Falls. The authorities closed bridges, and town officials posted an urgent message Wednesday night on Facebook: “Evacuate Webbers Falls immediately. The barges are loose and has the potential to hit the lock and dam 16. if the dam breaks it will be catastrophic!! Leave now!!” |
| The unmanned cargo vessels, which together weigh nearly 4,000 tons, rushed down the Arkansas River toward the town, getting caught for a time on some rocks in the middle of the river before breaking free. | The unmanned cargo vessels, which together weigh nearly 4,000 tons, rushed down the Arkansas River toward the town, getting caught for a time on some rocks in the middle of the river before breaking free. |
| They disconnected after slamming into the dam’s giant concrete gates with a loud crash, and one quickly sunk as the other crumpled, its debris forming a wedge between the gates. The collision was broadcast live by local news helicopters. | They disconnected after slamming into the dam’s giant concrete gates with a loud crash, and one quickly sunk as the other crumpled, its debris forming a wedge between the gates. The collision was broadcast live by local news helicopters. |
| The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said on Twitter that there did not appear to be any damage to the dam. “We have I-40 shut down in that area right now out of an abundance of caution,” said Sarah Stewart, a spokeswoman for the department. | The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said on Twitter that there did not appear to be any damage to the dam. “We have I-40 shut down in that area right now out of an abundance of caution,” said Sarah Stewart, a spokeswoman for the department. |
| Tornadoes and widespread flooding struck Oklahoma earlier in the week, and officials were preparing for another round of severe weather on Thursday and Friday. | |
| Officials said two people died in floodwaters: A woman in the town of Perkins drowned when she drove around warning signs on a flooded road, and another person drowned in a vehicle in floodwaters in Lincoln County. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said 44 injuries had been reported by local hospitals. | Officials said two people died in floodwaters: A woman in the town of Perkins drowned when she drove around warning signs on a flooded road, and another person drowned in a vehicle in floodwaters in Lincoln County. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said 44 injuries had been reported by local hospitals. |
| “Really, it’s just widespread damage across our entire state,” Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma told reporters Wednesday after taking a helicopter tour of hard-hit communities, adding, “The frightening part is we’ve got more, more rain and more storms on the forecast.” | “Really, it’s just widespread damage across our entire state,” Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma told reporters Wednesday after taking a helicopter tour of hard-hit communities, adding, “The frightening part is we’ve got more, more rain and more storms on the forecast.” |
| State emergency management officials said there were five confirmed tornadoes in Oklahoma on Monday and six on Tuesday. Scattered tornadoes were also reported Wednesday night. | State emergency management officials said there were five confirmed tornadoes in Oklahoma on Monday and six on Tuesday. Scattered tornadoes were also reported Wednesday night. |
| Sharp-eyed observers noted that the storm that hit Jefferson City lacked the familiar ropy vortex shape associated with tornadoes. Instead, the tornado was a thick wide band, a shape that informal tornado watchers call a “wedge tornado.” | Sharp-eyed observers noted that the storm that hit Jefferson City lacked the familiar ropy vortex shape associated with tornadoes. Instead, the tornado was a thick wide band, a shape that informal tornado watchers call a “wedge tornado.” |
| The shape, according to Michael Tippett, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University, suggests that the tornado was likely a large one. The tornadoes “that caused the most damage and are the most dangerous are the ones which are large and long-lived and they have long track,” Dr. Tippett said. These storms can last for tens of miles instead of hundreds of yards. | The shape, according to Michael Tippett, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University, suggests that the tornado was likely a large one. The tornadoes “that caused the most damage and are the most dangerous are the ones which are large and long-lived and they have long track,” Dr. Tippett said. These storms can last for tens of miles instead of hundreds of yards. |
| Meteorologists also said they could detect by radar that debris had lofted to nearly 14,000 feet. | |
| “That sort of signature happens when we get bad tornadoes,’’ said Mr. Franks, the National Weather Service meteorologist. “These types of tornadoes are pretty rare.’’ | |
| The Storm Prediction Center said there was an “enhanced” risk for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Forecasters also placed parts of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on the same alert level. | The Storm Prediction Center said there was an “enhanced” risk for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Forecasters also placed parts of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on the same alert level. |
| The tornadoes and the severe weather that is expected to persist into early next week are the result of a collision of warm air masses from the southeast meeting a cool air mass from the northwest, Mr. Franks said. Tornado-prone storms often form along such intersections, feeding off the variation in the wind direction. | |
| Although meteorologists have refined tornado forecasting to the point of extraordinary precision, the storms can still strike with little notice. The National Weather Service issues tornado warnings if a tornado is spotted visually or on radar, and it broadcasts those warnings through local news outlets, weather radios and the internet, including the @NWSTornado Twitter page. Do not rely on community tornado sirens, which may malfunction or be too far away to be audible. | Although meteorologists have refined tornado forecasting to the point of extraordinary precision, the storms can still strike with little notice. The National Weather Service issues tornado warnings if a tornado is spotted visually or on radar, and it broadcasts those warnings through local news outlets, weather radios and the internet, including the @NWSTornado Twitter page. Do not rely on community tornado sirens, which may malfunction or be too far away to be audible. |
| Climate change is increasingly linked to many forms of extreme weather. One analysis of extreme weather data found that human-caused climate change was a “significant driver” of 21 out of 27 extreme weather events, including droughts, floods and heat waves. | Climate change is increasingly linked to many forms of extreme weather. One analysis of extreme weather data found that human-caused climate change was a “significant driver” of 21 out of 27 extreme weather events, including droughts, floods and heat waves. |
| But tornadoes are different. Limited historical information, especially when compared with temperature data that goes back more than a century, makes it hard for researchers to determine whether the number of tornadoes is increasing, or if it’s just a matter of better reporting. | But tornadoes are different. Limited historical information, especially when compared with temperature data that goes back more than a century, makes it hard for researchers to determine whether the number of tornadoes is increasing, or if it’s just a matter of better reporting. |
| But a 2016 study in the journal Science found that tornado outbreaks, or tornadoes that occur in a bunch within the same weather system, were becoming more frequent. | But a 2016 study in the journal Science found that tornado outbreaks, or tornadoes that occur in a bunch within the same weather system, were becoming more frequent. |
| Take cover, preferably in a basement or in an interior room without windows. | Take cover, preferably in a basement or in an interior room without windows. |
| If you are driving and cannot reach a sturdy building, try to find shelter in a low-lying area. | If you are driving and cannot reach a sturdy building, try to find shelter in a low-lying area. |
| Cover your head. Television forecasters often recommend bicycle helmets. | Cover your head. Television forecasters often recommend bicycle helmets. |
| If there is damage after a storm, try to wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Avoid downed power lines. | If there is damage after a storm, try to wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Avoid downed power lines. |
| John Hacker reported from Carthage, Alan Blinder from Atlanta, and Timothy Williams from New York. Reporting was contributed by Sarah Mervosh, Amy Harmon and Kendra Pierre-Louis from New York, Manny Fernandez from Houston, and Austin Ramzy from Hong Kong. |