Tornado rips through Missouri capital

A tornado touched down in Jefferson City, Mo., Wednesday night, causing heavy damage, while severe weather and tornadoes across the state overnight caused at least three deaths and left many trapped in their homes. The National Weather Service reported a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” over the capital city just before midnight Wednesday. Missouri Public Safety confirmed in a tweet that three people were killed in the Golden City area of Barton County and several were injured in the Carl Junction area of Jasper County.

The National Weather Service said it had received more than 20 reports of tornadoes in the Plains region by late Wednesday, though some of the sightings could be duplicates. Storms and heavy rain have battered the Midwest this week. Officials in Oklahoma and Kansas urged residents to evacuate as rivers and streams rose, and two barges broke loose on the swollen Arkansas River in Oklahoma and threatened to hit a dam. With the three deaths in Missouri, the death toll from storms this week in the region has risen to seven.