Overview

• The confirmed death toll has risen to more than 25 across Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia, with the majority of fatalities reported in Kentucky's Laurel County.
• Thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed, including over 5,000 structures in St. Louis, Missouri, in what officials describe as one of the city's worst storms in history.
• Over 110,000 homes and businesses remain without electricity, marking a slight improvement from earlier outages affecting more than 180,000 customers.
• Search-and-rescue operations are continuing as National Weather Service alerts warn of additional severe weather in affected regions.
• Recent federal budget cuts and staffing reductions at NOAA have raised concerns about the agency's ability to maintain critical forecasting systems during peak tornado season.