Flattened and flooded: Tornadoes rip through Missouri, killing three, as heavy rains flood rivers in Oklahoma causing two runaway barges to be swallowed by dam
More flash flooding is set to hit Oklahoma as violent weather continues to wreak havoc across the Midwest - hours after a tornado tore through Jefferson City in Missouri Wednesday night leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Three people were killed in Golden City in Missouri overnight - a married couple in their 80s and a woman in her 50s - while flooded rivers in Oklahoma sparked two runaway barges and wiped out yet more homes.
Shocking drone footage shows the aftermath of the storms with buildings torn open and belongings scattered across the streets. More than 90 twisters have hit the Heartland this week, prompting President Trump to pledge his support to the state on Twitter Thursday afternoon.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed 86-year-old Kenneth Harris and 83-year-old Opal Harris died in the storm that hit overnight. The couple were found 200 yards from their residence in Golden City, southwest Missouri.
Meanwhile, Betty Berg, 56, was found dead amid debris just outside her mobile home in the 800 block of E State Route 126 in Golden City. Her husband, Mark Berg, 56, suffered serious injuries.
The storm also ripped a roof off a fertilizer plant in the area, prompting a precautionary evacuation of 1-mile radius because of a possible chemical leak.
As the catastrophic weather conditions continue to plague the Midwest, flood warnings remain in effect for much of Oklahoma, with more than nine inches of rainfall since Sunday after an already extremely wet spring.
The deaths of the elderly couple comes after a husband and wife were tragically killed in a traffic accident on Tuesday. An SUV skidded across the center of U.S. 160 in Springfield and struck a tractor-trailer, claiming the lives of Brandon Beasley, 23, and Christin, 24 of Willard, Missouri.
More than 80 people are staying in shelters in central Missouri after tornadoes ripped through the region.
Tornadoes caused significant damage overnight in Missouri's capital city of Jefferson City and in Eldon, a town of about 4,900 residents around 30 miles southwest.
The severe weather moved in from Oklahoma, where rescuers struggled to pull people from high water.
Near Crescent, about 34 miles north of Oklahoma City, erosion left several homes hanging over the swollen Cimarron River. One unoccupied home rolled into the river, and authorities said others could collapse.
In Arkansas, forecasters issued flood warnings along the Arkansas River because of the expected rush of water coming from Oklahoma.
Jefferson City's damage spanned about a 3-mile area, said Police Lt. David Williams. About 20 people were rescued by emergency personnel, and although there were no reports of missing people, authorities planned door-to-door checks Thursday, he said.
The weather service reported that a 'confirmed large and destructive tornado' was observed over Jefferson City at 11.43pm Wednesday, moving northeast at 40 mph. The capital city has a population of about 40,000 and is located about 130 miles west of St. Louis. 'It's a chaotic situation right now,' Williams said.
