Kentucky and Missouri tornadoes leave at least 21 dead as toll expected to rise

Dozens of people have died in a nightmare combination of killer and tearing across the US midwest, with more expected to follow after the declaration of a "mass casualty event".

US authorities believe that at least 21 people have died after tornadoes ripped through three states, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin all hit by severe conditions today. Deaths have been reported in the two former states, with 14 dead in Kentucky and seven in Missouri, while thousands of people have been left without power in Wisconsin. Missouri officials have said 5,000 buildings have been damaged, with roofs destroyed and power lines knocked down as thestruck on Friday.

Conditions have become so severe in Kentucky that officials have declared a "mass casualty event", with governor Andy Beshear expecting search and rescue teams to pull more lifeless bodies from the debris strewn across his state.

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He wrote on X, formerly , that his office expects the toll to climb "as we receive more information", with leaders in St Louis saying effects on the city have been "truly, truly horrendous". Officials have recorded five deaths - the vast majority of those in the entire state of Missouri - in the state capital, and Mayor Cara Spencer has said the city needs to "grieve".

She said: "The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous. We're going to have a lot of work to do in the coming days. There is no doubt there, but tonight we are focused on saving lives and keeping people safe and allowing our community to grieve."

But it appears emergency services won't get a much-needed breather over the weekend, with the onslaught of extreme set to only continue. The National Weather Service expects more devastation on Saturday, forecasting "severe thunderstorms" and "a couple of tornadoes".

In a statement on its website, the service added conditions will likely prove "damaging", with representatives saying: "Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts, and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains."

Tornadoes have barrelled down a part of the US known as "Tornado Alley", a vast, multi-state spanning strip where the deadly weather phenomena are most common. They are typically at their most numerous in the spring and summer months, being driven by the clash of cold and warm air masses.

The US experiences around 1,200 tornadoes every year, costing hundreds or thousands of millions in damages and killing an average of 71 people.

Tornado Alley is changing, however, with parts of the country that don't typically see this type of severe activity being dragged into severe storms. In May 2024, Michigan declared its first-ever tornado emergency, and this year reports have placed other tornadoes in neighbouring Illinois.