A lethal storm system rampaged through the central and eastern United States during the weekend, killing at least 28 individuals and causing destruction in its wake. Starting on Thursday, May 16, and persisting till Tuesday, this spate of harsh weather hit at least 12 states, with Kentucky and Missouri getting hit the hardest.
More than 70 tornadoes struck states such as Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana, as per reports. The storms were accompanied by intense winds and huge hail, destroying houses, toppling trees, and downing power lines in several communities.
Kentucky Sees Most Deaths
Kentucky lost the most lives. Governor Andy Beshear reported that 19 individuals had perished, and many of them were in Laurel County. London, a town some 75 miles south of Lexington, experienced some of the worst devastation.
How long has it been since the devastating tornado hit London, Kentucky taking 17 lives and did Trump visit the area yet…..remember when a tragedy hit and the same day they’d be all up on here screaming for Biden to visit the area immediately pic.twitter.com/bGgvjbmeQP
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) May 19, 2025
Photos in the aftermath provided a glimpse of homes leveled to splinters, cars swept into fields, and families digging through rubble for personal belongings. Laurel County’s Leslie Bott recalled the ominous moments leading up to the storm’s arrival: “You could feel the air sucking, and it sounded like a train. Next thing you knew, most of the house was gone.”
Missouri Also Faces Widespread Ruin
At the same time, seven people died in Missouri when a devastating tornado ripped through the St. Louis region. More than 4,500 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Trees knocked down cars, roofs collapsed, and live electrical wires hung from streets.
University of Missouri-St. Louis student John Randle described having sought shelter in a museum basement: “You could see the doors flying open and people running.” St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer called the destruction “horrendous” and called on residents to remain indoors while emergency workers labored.
Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson added that almost all the windows in one local fire station had broken, and close to 500 emergency responders were sent over a 20-block area to make rescues.
Power Outages and Economic Impact
During the height of the storm, over 700,000 homes and businesses had lost electricity, mostly in Missouri and Kentucky. Electricity has since been restored in most places by crews, but recovery is slow because much structural damage occurred.
AccuWeather puts the overall economic loss at $9 billion to $11 billion. This is comprised of damaged buildings, hospital bills, flight schedules, agricultural losses, and government response expenses. Long-term health impacts as well as logistical disruption are also included.
A Record-Breaking Year for Tornadoes?
With more than 820 early reports of tornadoes already reported in 2025, meteorologists caution that this might be the busiest year for twisters in more than a decade. For comparison, the seasonal norm is approximately 620 so far.
Weather forecasters have also cautioned of even intenser storms set to hit the same areas once more on Monday and Tuesday, fueling further anxiety among vulnerable communities.
Emergency responders still search for survivors as communities start the long process of rebuilding. In the meantime, authorities call for caution since harsh weather continues to be a real, present danger.
