State Assisting Missouri Communities Affected by Deadly Tornadoes and Severe Storms

The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated and state agencies continue to assist Missouri communities affected by a series of strong tornadoes and severe storms that swept through the state Friday night, December 10. The storms killed at least two people and destroyed or did major damage to hundreds of homes and buildings, based on initial assessments.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life caused by this powerful-sustained storm system, and we are praying for the family and friends of those we have lost," Governor Parson said. "The deadly tornadoes that swept through Missouri and neighboring states are a reminder that strong storms can take lives when people are at home or at work. I am grateful that our state and local response agencies along with the National Weather Service communicated the threat these storms posed early and were prepared to respond last night. Our state team members stand ready to assist and will be working with local partners to assess the damage in the coming days."

At this time, the state has been able to confirm the below information resulting from last night's severe storms and tornadoes. 

In St. Charles County, a woman was killed at home and two others were hospitalized. In Pemiscot County, a young child was killed at home and at least nine people were transported to hospitals.

Also, a semi-truck driver on I-55 and a motorist on Missouri Route 84 were killed in Pemiscot County. Those deaths remain under investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).

Through the overnight hours, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a total of 31 tornado warnings for Missouri. NWS assessment teams are in the field surveying storm damage and will determine EF tornado ratings.

Electric utility crews continued to work through the weekend to restore power after outages peaked with at least 30,000 customers without power.

The MSHP continues to assist local authorities in St. Charles County and southeast Missouri. Troopers have assisted with door-to-door searches and highway and road closures. The Missouri Department of Transportation has assisted with clearing debris and reopening highways. State Emergency Management Agency regional coordinators have been working with local partners to assess resource needs and preliminary damage estimates and will continue to do so in the coming days.

Governor Parson, along with Governors from other impacted states, spoke with President Joe Biden Saturday morning to coordinate state and federal resources for communities affected by yesterday's severe weather and tornadoes. 

The Office of the Governor, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Department of Public Safety (DPS), and other state agencies remain in constant communication with local emergency response personnel in affected areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal partners to ensure Missouri communities are receiving the resources and assistance they need. 

 

 

Tomorrow, December 12, 2021, Governor Parson and members of his emergency management team will be in Defiance around 9:30 a.m. and then Pemiscot County communities around 12:20 p.m. to assess storm and tornado damage in the regions and visit with impacted Missourians.

 

 

"I want all Missourians who have been affected to know that my office and all of state government stands ready to assist them, and we are going to be on the ground in areas most impacted to learn just how best to do that," Governor Parson said. "We express our appreciation to the first responders, utility crews, and teams of volunteers who continue to work quickly to save lives, remove debris, and restore power."