1 person died, 2 others were pulled from wreckage after a storm crumbled part of a St. Louis church
Share this @internewscast.com

One individual lost their life, and two others were rescued from the debris of a partially collapsed church on Friday following intense storms, which may have included a tornado, impacting St. Louis.

Numerous injuries were reported after the afternoon storms on Friday. These storms ravaged the area, removing roofs from buildings, tearing bricks from siding, toppling trees, and bringing down power lines, prompting authorities to advise residents to seek shelter.

At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan informed The Associated Press that three people required rescuing after a section of the church collapsed. One of those individuals did not survive.

National Weather Service radar indicated that a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. It received reports of damages, mostly downed trees, weather service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.

The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year, Pfahler said.

The St. Louis Zoo posted a message on X, the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter, that it would remain closed for the rest of the day because of the weather. The post included no information on damages, a zoo spokesperson didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” Pfahler said.

Radar confirmed a tornado above Venice, Illinois, about 2:50 p.m. CDT. It could be accompanied by golf ball-size hail, the National Weather Service in St. Louis said. Venice is northeast of St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River.

The weather service described the tornado as “extremely dangerous” and moving east at 50 mph. The tornado is part of a severe weather system that spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, downed trees, left thousands without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.

Weather forecasters warned that severe storms with hail and even hurricane-force winds also could hobble parts of Appalachia and the Midwest on Friday. Tornadoes were also a risk there.

The National Weather Service said severe weather was likely across parts of the central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic states. Residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio should brace for intense storms that could include baseball-sized hail.

The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center said that “strong, potentially long-track tornadoes and very large hail” could be expected. The threat for damaging winds in excess of 75 mph will increase into this evening as storms grow into larger clusters.

Ahead of Friday night’s anticipated storm, Appalachian Power, which serves 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, said Friday it requested 1,700 additional workers from neighboring utilities along with sending its own crews from unaffected areas to assist with service restoration.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a post on the social media platform X, put residents on notice.

“Kentucky, there is a dangerous weather system moving through our state with a significant round this afternoon through tonight. Strong winds, hail, flooding and tornadoes are possible starting at 2 p.m. CT in Western Kentucky and reaching Louisville around 5 p.m. ET,” he said.

Shelters were opening in the Paducah, Kentucky, area.

Faith Borden, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service Nashville office, said Friday that middle Tennessee could expect “all types of severe weather. Winds up to 70 mph. We’re talking seriously large hail up to 3 inches, which for us is big hail.”

Texas, meanwhile, faced searing heat. A heat advisory was issued for the San Antonio and Austin, with temperatures at a blistering 95 F (35 C) to 105 (40.5 C). Parts of the southern East Coast, from Virginia to Florida, battled with heat in the 90s.

The National Weather Service Office for Austin/San Antonio said Friday the humidity coming in over the weekend is expected to make temperatures hotter.

“There are concerns of heat exhaustion for people that aren’t taking proper precautions when they’re outdoors,” meteorologist Jason Runyen said. He advised those affected to take breaks and stay hydrated.

Overnight Thursday, storms accompanied by booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power.

Several tornadoes touched down Thursday in central Wisconsin. None of the twisters have received ratings yet, said Timm Uhlmann, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Green Bay.

“We’re still gathering reports,” Uhlmann said. “We’re assessing some of the damage and still getting video and pictures. The damage that we have is fairly widespread. There was a lot of large hail. In Eau Claire was one report of softball-sized hail.”

No injuries have been reported.

Surveys also were underway Friday of damage in Michigan to determine if any tornadoes touched down there, said Steven Freitag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township, northwest of Detroit.

The storms were fueled by temperatures in the lower 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and were activated by a cold front that pushed through, Freitag said.

By midday Friday, about 230,000 customers were without power in Michigan. An estimated 60,000 were without power in Indiana. Another 27,000 in total had no electricity in Illinois and Kentucky.

The threat of severe weather in Chicago delayed a Beyonce concert by about two hours Thursday at Soldier Field.

___

Associated Press writer Haya Panjwani in Washington and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this story.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Illegal immigrants arrested after woman found shot to death in Texas woods, 1 wanted by Mexican feds: police

Texas Authorities Apprehend Suspected Illegal Immigrants in Connection with Fatal Shooting; One Suspect Sought by Mexican Authorities

Authorities have apprehended two Mexican nationals in Texas, linking them to the…
Miami Beach tops US priciest home zip codes in 2025

Miami Beach Overtakes Nation as Most Expensive Zip Code for Homes in 2025

California has cemented its reputation for high real estate costs, claiming seven…
Trump threatens Hamas if Gaza ceasefire collapses as JD Vance to visit Israel

Trump Issues Warning to Hamas Amid Gaza Ceasefire Concerns; JD Vance Plans Visit to Israel

In a recent announcement regarding Vice President JD Vance’s upcoming visit to…
Attempted murder suspect with four prior cases walks free on $9.5K bond after brutal trail attack

Suspect in Attempted Murder, with Four Prior Charges, Released on $9.5K Bond Following Violent Trail Assault

Florida trail attack suspect escorted to sheriff’s cruiser Jacoby Tillman, a 23-year-old…
Truck hits parked van in Midtown Manhattan, pushing vehicle onto sidewalk and injuring 9

Midtown Manhattan Collision: Truck Crashes into Parked Van, Injures 9 as Vehicle Mounts Sidewalk

In a startling event on Monday, a truck collided with a parked…
Vance warns Hamas as Gaza peace plan's Civilian Military Cooperation Center opens

US Diplomat Vance Issues Strong Warning to Hamas Amid Launch of Gaza’s New Peace Initiative Center

Vice President JD Vance delivered a stern message to Hamas on Tuesday…
Georgia man arrested for allegedly shooting at North Carolina home after tearing down Trump banner

Georgia Resident Arrested for Alleged Gunfire at North Carolina Home Following Trump Banner Removal

Authorities have apprehended a Georgia man accused of tearing down a Trump…
Mickey Mouse surprises L.A. kids and teaches them the "Hot Dog!" dance from the 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+'

Mickey Mouse Delights L.A. Kids with a Surprise “Hot Dog!” Dance Lesson

LOS ANGELES — Amid joyful cheers and energetic music, Mickey Mouse made…
Palatka student arrested for written death threats

Palatka Student Faces Arrest Over Alleged Threatening Messages

A 12-year-old from Palatka Junior-Senior High School is now facing serious legal…
Man arrested, accused of trying to smuggle drugs into Ware County Jail

Attempted Drug Smuggling Foiled at Ware County Jail: Suspect in Custody

In a bold and unusual attempt to smuggle drugs into a correctional…
Colombia’s president muses about getting 'rid of' Trump amid drug feud

Colombian President Contemplates Action Against Trump Amid Ongoing Drug Dispute

WASHINGTON — In a startling interview, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro voiced provocative…
1 dead, 1 in custody after Alabama shooting

Tragic Alabama Shooting Leaves One Dead, Suspect in Custody

SMITHS STATION, Ala. (WRBL) — A tragic shooting incident in Sawyer’s Trailer…