Washington (AFP) – A powerful tornado swept across Missouri, killing three people as it knocked down power lines and trees, smashed windows and left streets strewn with debris, officials said Thursday.
Major damage was reported in the state capital Jefferson City and at least nine people were hospitalized after Wednesday’s twister.
It forced people to take shelter as heavy rain, hail, wind and lightning struck the state, along with neighboring Oklahoma and Kansas.
“Violent tornado confirmed — shelter now!” tweeted the National Weather Service.
Three fatalities were confirmed in Golden City, 170 miles (270 kilometres) southwest of Jefferson, the Missouri Department of Public Safety said, which also reported the nine injured.
Video footage aired on CNN showed downed trees, smashed windows in storefronts and streets full of debris torn loose by the storm.
Non-essential Missouri state employees were instructed to stay home on Thursday because of damage to state buildings, the department said.
Emergency officials carried out door-to-door searches amid reports of trapped residents, while authorities warned of flash flooding.
Some 3,500 people were left without electricity following several outages caused by the severe weather, power company Liberty Utilities Empire District wrote on Facebook.
Tornado warnings remained in place outside St. Louis, in eastern Missouri, early Thursday morning.
In Oklahoma, Tulsa mayor G. T. Bynum said residents close to a dam on Keystone Lake were being encouraged to evacuate their homes due to the risk of flooding.
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