Residents dig out from tornado damage after storms kill 28 in Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia

LONDON Ky AP Residents in Kentucky and Missouri sifted through damage in tornado-stricken neighborhoods still on edge Sunday for more severe weather ahead after storms that killed more than two dozen people as they swept through parts of the Midwest and South Kentucky was hardest hit as a devastating tornado damaged hundreds of homes tossed vehicles about and left multiple homeless At least people were killed the majority of them in southeastern Laurel County Meteorologists predicted a fresh multi-day mix of dangerous weather conditions across the nation s midsection with heavy rains thunderstorms and probable tornadoes according to the National Weather Utility The weather institution ratified a large and extremely dangerous tornado Sunday afternoon near Mingus Texas about miles kilometers west of Fort Worth Critical damage but no immediate casualties were announced in Palo Pinto County which includes Mingus a sheriff s office dispatcher disclosed Forecasters warned of hail the size of tennis balls in that area and damaging hail elsewhere in parts of Kansas Oklahoma and Nebraska IT HAPPENED SO FAST Jeff Wyatt s home of years was destroyed along with much of his neighborhood in London Kentucky Wyatt his wife and two of their children scarcely made it to safety in a hallway while the roof and family room were ripped away On Sunday the family returned to the wrecked home to collect photos baby blankets and other keepsakes It happened so fast stated Wyatt If we would have been there seconds longer we would have been gone with the family room Survivors and their supporters picked through the debris in London on Sunday wary about new forecasts Severe storms were practicable for Kentucky on Monday and even more so on Tuesday the weather amenity declared Zach Wilson whose parents home was destroyed noted he was terrified another storm would ruin the remaining salvageable items scattered across their property or even worse destroy another locality If I had to tell anybody it would be to listen to every word that the National Weather Amenity kicks out and take every warning seriously Wilson declared The Kentucky storms emerged from a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia administration noted The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois including Chicago in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day MISSOURI AND KANSAS COULD SEE MORE STORMS The weather function announced parts of Missouri and Kansas could see severe thunderstorms golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to mph kph into Monday In London Kentucky Ryan VanNorstran huddled with his brother s large dogs in a first-floor closet as the storm hit his brother s home Friday in a neighborhood along Keavy Road where much of the destruction in the public of nearly people was centered VanNorstran was house-sitting He reported he felt the house shake as he got into a closet Then a door from another house crashed through a window All the windows blew out of the house and his car was destroyed Chunks of wood had punched through several parts of the roof but the house avoided catastrophic damage When he stepped outside he heard screaming I guess in the moment I kind of realized there was nothing I could do I d never really felt that kind of power from just nature he revealed DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS UNDERWAY Damage assessments were underway Sunday as the state readied its request for federal catastrophe assistance Kentucky Gov Andy Beshear reported The governor disclosed a th storm victim a woman from Russell County Of people hospitalized for weather-related injuries three remained in critical condition A lot of Kentuckians are hurting right now Beshear stated on X touting fundraising efforts to help with funerals and rebuilding If you re able to help please do He mentioned parts of two dozen state roads were closed and selected could take days to reopen About tornadoes strike the U S annually and they have been stated in all states Researchers determined in that deadly tornadoes were occurring less frequently in the traditional Tornado Alley of Oklahoma Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South In St Louis Mayor Cara Spencer reported five people died were injured and more than homes were affected The devastation is truly heartbreaking she declared A tornado struck in Scott County about miles kilometers south of St Louis killing two people injuring several others and destroying several homes Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media STORMS HIT AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STAFFING CUTS AT WEATHER ORGANIZATION The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Function offices with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes The office in Jackson Kentucky which was responsible for the area around London Kentucky had a March vacancy rate of the Louisville Kentucky weather operation staff was down and the St Louis office was down according to calculations by weather facility employees obtained by The Associated Press The Louisville office also was without a permanent boss the meteorologist in charge as of March according to the staffing facts Experts revealed any vacancy rate above is a critical challenge