Severe weather leaves at least 23 dead, including 14 in storm-battered Kentucky

LONDON Ky AP Storm systems sweeping across parts of the U S Midwest and South have left at least people dead numerous of them in Kentucky where what appeared to be a devastating tornado pulverized homes and flipped over a car on an interstate In Kentucky particular people were killed by severe weather and the death toll is likely to rise according to Gov Andy Beshear Local officers in Laurel County in the state s southeast explained nine people were killed after a tornado touched down Kayla Patterson her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London the county seat as the tornado raged around them You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance glass shattering everywhere just roaring like a freight train she recalled Saturday It was terrible The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors While the family s own home was spared others right behind it were demolished Patterson noted as the sound of power tools buzzed in the background The neighborhood was dotted with piles of lumber metal sheeting insulation and stray belongings a suitcase a sofa various six-packs of paper towels Rescuers were searching for survivors all night and into the morning the sheriff s office noted An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving The National Weather Operation hadn t yet established that a tornado struck but meteorologist Philomon Geertson announced it was likely It ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight Resident Chris Cromer stated he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around p m or so about a half-hour before the tornado struck He and his wife grabbed their dog jumped in their car and scrambled to the crawlspace at a relative s nearby home because the couple s own crawlspace is small We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through noted Cromer A piece of his roof was ripped off and windows were broken but homes around his were destroyed It s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas and you feel bad for people then when it happens it s just surreal he mentioned It makes you be thankful to be alive really The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky Two months ago at least people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads Hundreds of people were rescued and the majority of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water A storm in late spawned tornadoes that killed people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky The following summer historic floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Kentucky leaving dozens more dead Missouri pounded by storms with deaths approved in St Louis About tornadoes strike the U S annually and they have been communicated in all states over the years Researchers located in that deadly tornadoes were happening 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 area The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia officers announced The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin brought a punishing heat wave to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois including Chicago in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day Well that was something the weather function s Chicago office wrote on X after issuing its first-ever dust storm warning for the city Thunderstorms in central Illinois had pushed strong winds over dry dusty farmland and northward into the Chicago area the weather agency explained In Missouri St Louis Mayor Cara Spencer announced five people died were injured and more than homes were affected in her city The devastation is truly heartbreaking she stated at a news conference Saturday An overnight curfew was to continue in the the bulk damaged neighborhoods Weather function radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between p m and p m in Clayton Missouri in the St Louis area The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park home to the St Louis Zoo and the site of the World s Fair and Olympic Games the same year Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled St Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan advised The Associated Press Stacy Clark commented his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church He described her as a very evolving church volunteer who had multiple roles including being part of the choir John Randle noted he and his girlfriend were at the St Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about other people You could see the doors flying open tree branches flying by and people running revealed Randle At the Saint Louis Zoo falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility Staffers promptly corralled greater part of the butterflies the zoo commented on social media and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield is caring for the displaced creatures A tornado struck in Scott County about miles kilometers south of St Louis killing two people injuring several others and destroying multiple homes Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media Forecasters say severe weather could batter southern Plains The weather utility commented Saturday that severe thunderstorms large hail and a couple of tornadoes were expected across the southern Plains with especially high peril in north Texas Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta Mike Catalini in Morrisville Pennsylvania and Juan Lozano in Houston Related Articles Shuli Ren Trump and Xi tone down a senseless pact war Noah Feldman David Souter set an example for the Supreme Court UN forecasts slower global economic progress 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