5 Dead After Early Morning Tornado Hits Missouri Where Search-and-Rescue Efforts Are Still Underway

"Our prayers are with the loved ones of those who were killed during the storms," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Wednesday, following a twister that brought winds up to 130 miles per hour

Five people were killed after a "significant tornado" moved through rural Bollinger County in Missouri early Wednesday morning, Sheriff Casey A. Graham confirmed in a Facebook statement.

"It's with great regret that I can confirm five fatalities; names will be withheld until we are sure all family members have been notified," the sheriff wrote. The Grassy and Glenallen areas, approximately 120 miles south of St. Louis, were the sites of the destruction, he said.

Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol told CBS News that search and rescue operations are still underway, with various agencies participating. Photos of the damage show uprooted trees, widespread debris and gutted homes.

"We appreciate the work of our first responders and the many neighbors who reached out to help their neighbors, and our prayers are with the loved ones of those who were killed during the storms," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson wrote on Twitter Wednesday, saying he planned to "join emergency personnel on the ground" to help assess the damage.

The tornado occurred between 3 and 4:30 am, with the storm moving along Route 34 into Glen Allen, where the damage was reportedly severe and widespread, Sgt. Parrott told CBS.

Justin Gibbs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., told the Associated Press that storms are particularly dangerous when they occur in the middle of the night.

"It's bad anytime," he said, "but it's especially bad at 3:30 in the morning."

The National Weather Service tweeted that the early-morning tornado reached estimated winds of up to 130 miles per hour.

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Wednesday's severe weather is expected to continue traveling through parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and more areas, according to the National Weather Service. Millions of residents are still under active tornado watch as the threat looms through the afternoon.

FEMA Region 7 wrote in a tweet Wednesday, "Sad day today for IA & MO residents impacted by storms last 24 hrs. 5 fatalities + multiple injuries so far in southeast MO."

On Tuesday, Northern Illinois — including the Chicago area — experienced major storms with large hail and strong winds. At least two tornadoes were confirmed in Illinois as severe weather battered the state, along with parts of Wisconsin and Iowa.

Weather has turned deadly in the Midwest and South during the past two weeks. At least 26 people died after tornadoes and severe storms hit eight states on Friday. Dozens more died in Mississippi and Alabama when a twister passed through the week before.

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