Massive storm system hits multiple U.S. states, at least 3 deaths reported

Severe storms with probable tornadoes tore through several central U.S. states Thursday night, damaging homes and businesses and killing at least three people, with more bodies likely to be discovered, authorities said. As the sun rose Friday, officials scrambled to assess the extent of the destruction with the power out.

The three deaths came in Logan County, Ohio, according to the sheriff's office there. Thursday night's storms also left trails of destruction in Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas. Tornadoes were also suspected in Illinois and Missouri.

"3 people have been confirmed dead. We are working on identifying the victims," said a statement from Chief Deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff's Office.

There were "many, many significant injuries" after a suspected tornado in Winchester, Ind., where search efforts were underway, officials said. There were no known fatalities as of Friday morning.

"I'm shaken; it's overwhelming," Winchester Mayor Bob McCoy said. "I heard what sounded like a train and then I started hearing sirens."

He and his wife were hunkered in a closet during the twister, which hit about 8 p.m. local time.

"I've never heard that sound before; I don't want to hear it again," McCoy said.

Travel restricted

The suspected tornado damaged a Walmart store and a Taco Bell in Winchester, Randolph County Sheriff Art Moystner told FOX59/CBS4. Travel throughout the county is restricted to emergency management workers only, he said.

West of Winchester, emergency management officials said initial assessments suggested as many as half the structures in the town of Selma, population 750, were damaged by a possible tornado. Only minor injuries were reported, the Delaware County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release.

"Severe weather has impacted Hoosiers all across the state, and we have emergency response personnel in the impacted areas," Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb posted on Facebook Thursday night.

The Winchester school district was closed Friday, according to a Facebook post. A high school in Winchester had electricity and was open for people who "need somewhere warm and dry."

At about the same time as the tornado hit Winchester, another suspected twister touched down about 120 kilometres to the east in Logan County, Ohio. The tornado hit near the southern end of Indian Lake, impacting the villages of Lakeview and Russells Point, county spokesperson Sheri Timmers said.

"As far as we know, we have lots of injuries. We don't know the extent of the injuries," Timmers said. "An RV park was impacted."

Multiple buildings in the Indian Lake area were damaged, but the full extent of the destruction was still being assessed as emergency crews searched the area, Timmers said.

'Completely demolished'

Amber Fagan, president and chief executive of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said Lakeview was "completely demolished," with homes, campgrounds and a laundromat hard-hit by the tornado.

"There's places burning," she said. "There's power lines through people's windows."

A shelter was opened for displaced people. In Ohio's Huron County, emergency management officials posted on Facebook that there was a "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado" near Plymouth, some 120 kilometres northeast of Indian Lake.

In Kentucky, Trimble County Emergency Management Director Andrew Stark told the Courier Journal of Louisville that the storms damaged at least 50 structures, including homes.

There was significant damage in the town of Milton, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement, with potentially over 100 structures damaged.

In Arkansas, a suspected tornado struck the retirement community of Hot Springs Village, about 64 kilometres southwest of Little Rock, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Erik Green.

"It's pretty clear cut that a tornado did hit Hot Springs Village," Green said, and assessment teams will go to the area Friday to confirm the twister.