Tornado strikes south of West Plains

Howell County was one of many counties in Missouri that was struck by tornadoes on Friday, March 14. The tornado entered the southwestern portion of the county after it struck Bakersfield in Ozark County around 9 pm, traveling northeast. The National Weather Service in Springfield announced the tornado was an EF-3 with peak winds of 140 mph and had a peak width of 600 yards. 

 

Damage from the storm continued in Howell County, damaging properties south of US Highway 160. Storm damage knocked down trees and power lines less than one mile south of Glenwood School on Highway 17, roughly five miles south of West Plains. Fallen trees landed on homes or blocked driveways.

 

East of West Plains, along US Highway 63, the tornado ripped the roof off of Bell's Body Shop, demolished a home, and destroyed part of Fiddlestick's Flea Market, ripping the roof from the building, before it crossed the roadway and continued northeast. In total, approximately 41 homes were damaged and 18 were destroyed, three businesses were destroyed and two were severely damaged, according to Howell County Emergency Management. While no deaths were reported as a result of the storm in the county, two people were seriously injured and eight more received minor injuries. 

 

Following the storm, roughly 6,500 customers of Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative (HOEC were without power. As soon as it was safe, crews from the co-op began working to restore power and clear powerlines that had fallen across roadways. Power was restored to roughly 800 members on Saturday and an additional 98 linemen came from other coops to help with the damage and recovery. Two substations received a near-direct hit, and hundreds of poles were damaged or knocked down, according to information from HOEC. 

 

On Sunday, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe issued a statement on the disaster.

 

"The scale of devastation across our state is staggering," Gov. Kehoe said in the statement. "While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action—getting power restored, clearing debris, and ensuring our communities have the resources they need to recover. The strength and resilience of Missourians are already on display, and we will be with them every step of the way." 

 

Gov. Kehoe had declared a State of Emergency on Friday ahead of the storm, and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is working with local emergency managers to make initial assessments of the damage to prepare for a federal major disaster declaration request. The governor has also spoken with White House and FEMA officials, who assured him they are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to assist as soon as the Missouri request is submitted. 

 

Many organizations are working together to assist those affected by the storm in Howell County. The American Red Cross of Missouri has opened a shelter at the First United Methodist Church, located at 503 W. Main Street in West Plains. Convoy of Hope was at Endurance Church in West Plains on Saturday and Sunday. 

 

Glenwood, Howell Valley, and South Fork Schools were without power due to the storm. The West Plains School District announced school would be in session and South Fork students would be bussed to West Plains and spend the school day at the First Baptist Church in West Plains. The R-7 District also noted that missed attendance for weather-related events is not counted against students. Glenwood R-8 did post on Facebook that they would provide transportation for high school students from Glenwood to the high school and back, but school would not be in session. 

 

While many people are looking to help those affected by the storm, it is an unfortunate reality that there are people looking to scam those same people. If you are in need of assistance or willing to help others, please be careful of potential scammers.