A supercell band of tornadoes cut a path of destruction through the Ohio Valley late Friday, leaving at least 21 people dead in Kentucky and Missouri, authorities reported Saturday.
Hardest hit was Laurel County, where nine of the state’s fourteen deaths were reported by public safety officials. As of Saturday morning, the state remained in its rescue phase with five counties under a declared state of emergency and 100,000 without power.
In Missouri, authorities reported seven people have lost their lives and dozens were injured after twisters caused heavy damage, significantly impacting the St. Louis metro area.
A storm chaser near Morganfield, Kentucky caught one of the twisters on video.
Another YouTuber posted video of an angry twister lit by lightening as it was hitting London in Laurel County.
At first light, a storm chaser posted drone footage of the London area showing homes flattened, cars overturned and trees trimmed to nothing as if they were hit by a giant weed wacker.
“Entire neighborhoods were gone,” the chaser from WXChasing reported, adding that the damage was typical of an EF4 twister, the most powerful on the scale with wind speeds as high as 200 miles an hour.
Search and rescue was still underway Saturday, according to Laurel County authorities and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
Here is where we currently stand:
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 17, 2025
- In active rescue phase
- 100,476 without power
- Five counties have declared a state of emergency (1 written, 4 verbal)
- Confirmed fatalities (this number will likely grow): 14
- @KYTC reporting minimal roadway impacts 2/3
The governor had declared a state of emergency early Friday morning in anticipation of the storms.
“I want to thank @KentuckyEM, first responders, @KyStatePolice, local officials and Kentuckians across our state for working through the night to keep everyone informed and safe. All of our resources are now focused on rescue efforts. Please pray for the families affected,” Beshear wrote in a post on X.
One survivor in the Kentucky town of London told Fox Weather:
(My daughter) got scared, so we went to the hallway. And we were in there about two minutes and then my husband came running in and pretty much jumped on top of her because you could feel the air sucking in, and it sounded like a train. And then we saw stuff falling, and next thing you knew, most of the house was gone.
In Missouri, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said at least five storm-related fatalities have been confirmed in her city. She implemented a city-wide curfew because over 5,000 homes were affected by the storms.
In Scott County, located about two hours south of St. Louis, the sheriff reported at least two storm-related deaths and multiple injuries.
“Today our county was struck by a devastating tornado in the southern region, causing significant damage to several rural areas,” Scott County Sheriff Derick Wheetley told news outlets. “The tornado moved from the eastern part of the county, leaving behind a trail of destruction, with multiple homes completely lost and areas left unrecognizable.”
More than 80,000 customers reportedly were without power across Missouri as of Saturday morning
Supercells, sometimes called the “kings of thunderstorms,” have a prolonged life and feature an upward rotation and wind shears that produce hail, heavy winds, and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
The total number of tornadoes spawned in the Ohio Valley storm is not yet known.
A tornado caused extensive damage Lowell Cauffiel’s former home near Chelsea, Michigan in 1994 while he was out running errands. His daughter Jessica survived the storm by huddling with the family dog in the basement. He is best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
