Drone footage reveals tornado devastation in rural Missouri after five people killed

At least some of the victims were members of a family who lived in a trailer along a state highway in Bollinger County

Drone footage has revealed the scale of devastation across several rural communities in Missouri after a powerful tornado struck in the middle of the night.

At least five people have been killed, according to law enforcement, after the twister touched down in Bollinger County, 50 miles south of St Louis, around 3.30am on Wednesday.

At least another five people were injured after their homes were obliterated, one builiding flipped on its side, and trees were pulled from their roots.

The townships of Grassy and Glen Allen were particularly affected, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey Graham wrote in a Facebook post. The tornado reportedly remained on the ground for about 15 minutes and traveled 15-20 miles.

“Throughout the early morning and continuing now, efforts for search and rescue are underway,” he wrote. “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.”

Residents in the village of Glen Allen told The Associated Press that at least some of the victims were members of a family who lived in a trailer along a state highway.

Storms which can spawn tornadoes are particularly dangerous at night. Missouri State Emergency Management Agency issued a detailed warning for residents to take extra precautions and remain alert ahead of the storms.

The tornado was the third in a series of deadly storm systems to roll across the South and Midwest in recent weeks, killing at least 63 people.

More extreme weather struck later on Wednesday when an EF-1 tornado touched down in Louisville, Kentucky, with maximum winds of 90 mph.

Trees fell onto houses, an apartment building roof was torn off and power lines downed. More than 10,000 people remained without power in Kentucky on Thursday, according to utlity tracker poweroutage.us.

Residents clean up after a tornado touched downon April 5, 2023 in Glenallen, Missouri. At least five people have been killed and multiple others injured (Getty Images)

On Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of more potentially dangerous weather with a slight risk of damaging thunderstorm gusts and isolated large hail over the Mid-Atlantic region this afternoon.

Last week, a powerful storm system, which reportedly spawned dozens of tornadoes, left 32 people dead and destroyed buildings in 11 states including Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri.

In March, an EF-4 tornado tore across Mississippi and Alabama killing at least 26 people.