At least seven people are confirmed dead and 35 more injured after severe storms, including suspected tornadoes, ripped through St. Louis and parts of southeastern Missouri on Friday.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five fatalities in the city, with two more deaths reported in Scott County. Over 5,000 homes may have been affected, with significant damage reported across 20 square blocks of the city, according to Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson.
Roofs were torn off buildings, trees uprooted, and power lines downed as the storms struck. More than 40,000 utility customers in the St. Louis area remained without power Friday night, while Missouri overall had over 97,000 outages, according to PowerOutage.us. 
Hospitals Receive Dozens of Injured
Two major hospitals—St Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital—received a combined total of at least 35 patients. Most of the children were expected to be released by Friday night, though one remained in critical condition. Some adult patients were listed in serious condition.
Rescue Operations Ongoing
Search-and-rescue operations continued late into the night, aided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and neighboring first responders. Police spokesperson Mitch McCoy described the response as “all hands on deck” as crews work to locate and save survivors.
A curfew was imposed for the northern part of the city, from Forest Park to the northern boundary, lasting until 6 a.m. Saturday.
Possible Multiple Tornadoes
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that radar and damage assessments suggest at least one tornado touched down in the St. Louis area around 2:30 p.m., moving east toward Granite City, Illinois. A survey team is expected on the ground Saturday to confirm the tornado and determine its EF rating.
Local station KSDK indicated that two tornadoes may have struck the region. In one dramatic rescue, a man was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed home after hours trapped inside. He had reportedly taken shelter in a pantry before the building crumbled.
“He’s doing great, considering the building collapsed on him,” said a fire official involved in the rescue.
The full extent of the storm’s impact will become clearer as daylight and damage surveys begin on Saturday.
