At Least Five Dead After Tornado Tears Through Parts of St. Louis Metro Area

At least five people are dead with search and rescue, recovery and damage assessments continuing in parts of the St. Louis Metropolitan area after being hit Friday afternoon by a tornado.

Reports indicate that more 5,000 structures were damaged, trees and powerlines were knocked down all over the affected areas and cell phone coverage disrupted for many.

The tornado, caught widely on social media, apparently first struck in the Clayton area moving on to Richmond Heights and the Zoo in the Forest Park area before moving across the river into Illinois. The zoo did report that all animals were safe despite some damage.

The numbers of injuries and fatalities are expected to rise.