榴莲视频

The storm system that pummeled 榴莲视频 on Friday spawned at least 13 tornadoes across the state, the National Weather Service says, with the total expected to rise as damage surveys are completed in coming days.

Seven of those were in the 46 counties covered by the NWS office in St. Louis. Staffers have finished surveying two routes tornadoes took during the storm and have partially surveyed at least a half-dozen other pathways across its territory of the metro area, Illinois and the Ozarks.

Thus far, the most powerful tornado to hit the area was at least an EF3, with 3-second wind gusts up to 165 mph, that struck Iron County, in the Ozarks.

Closer to the St. Louis area, initial survey findings found that a tornado rated as high as EF2 had struck Villa Ridge, while suggesting that others that registered at least an EF2 had struck places like Bridgeton and Arnold, with gusts up to 135 mph.

Across the Mississippi River, NWS teams were also surveying sites near O鈥橣allon, Illinois, and New Baden, the agency said. At the former, the teams confirmed the occurrence of a tornado that was at least an EF1, with gusts up to 110 mph, and at the latter, confirmed one that was at least an EF2.

The track length and the width of some of the tornadoes near St. Louis has been 鈥渋mpressive,鈥� said Kevin Deitsch, a warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS鈥� local forecast office.

One track stretched 鈥渙ff and on鈥� from about Sullivan to Alton 鈥� including a path of more than 13 miles starting near Villa Ridge, when a tornado achieved maximum estimated wind speeds of 130 mph 鈥� while surveys have shown that a tornado in Arnold was at times 鈥渁pproaching a half-mile wide,鈥� he said.

Counting tornadoes can be particularly tricky if, for instance, some were 鈥渟kipping鈥� along a track of the storm, by touching down and lifting up before returning to the ground in another place.

Some of that happened Friday night, Deitsch said, at least in the lengthy storm track that stretched across north St. Louis County, blazing 鈥渜uite a path of up-and-down tornadoes鈥� as it approached Alton. He said tornado activity along that path lifted 鈥渇or several miles in places,鈥� before touching down again.

Despite the destruction left by the storm, including two fatalities, Deitsch expressed relief that there were not more deaths or injuries around the St. Louis area, and said that many people seemed to have received warnings and taken them to heart by seeking shelter or taking other precautions.

鈥淎s meteorologists, that鈥檚 what we hope to see,鈥� he said. 鈥淔olks taking those actions is really, ultimately, what saved a lot of lives on Friday.鈥�

Southern parts of Missouri saw more severe damage and impacts from the storm, including the bulk of the at least 12 related fatalities in the state.

Statewide, there are five Red Cross shelters in operation, including in Jefferson, Franklin and St. Louis counties, said Katy Linnenbrink, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.

She said that local damage assessments are still being evaluated and then compiled by state officials as they prepare to request a federal disaster declaration that would pave the way for types of public and individual assistance.

Missouri鈥檚 statewide threshold to be granted a disaster declaration is $11.6 million or more in costs tied to emergency response and public infrastructure damage, while counties must also have damages exceed certain minimum levels to be eligible for inclusion, Linnenbrink said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 so much damage, I鈥檓 certain we鈥檒l meet our threshold,鈥� she said.