5 Dead as Severe Storms Hit Midwest

Police report tornadoes in Illinois

Five people are dead after severe storms swept across the Midwest on Friday.

More than 63,000 Southern Illinois customers are without electricity, according to Ameren.  In Missouri, 150,000 people were without power.

Illinois State Police have reports of storm damage in seven counties. Police reported tornados in Jackson and Perry counties, but the NWS has not yet confirmed.

Two people were killed when a tree fell on their van near Poplar Bluff, Mo., state police told KFVS-TV.  In Dallas County, Mo., a man in
his 70s had a fatal heart attack after he and his wife were sucked from their home by a tornado and thrown into a field 75 to 100 feet
away, said county emergency management director Larry Highfill. The wife was taken to a Springfield hospital and was in fair condition
late Friday.

A mobile home was blown off its foundation in southeast Kansas, killing a 54-year-old woman inside. Wind in the area reached 120 mph, destroying the New Albany United Methodist Church, the town's post office and at least one home, authorities said. Major damage also was reported to a high school in Cherokee, Kan.

In Kentucky, one person was killed in the storms. The woman's body was found in a pond, but officials didn't immediately release further details about her death.

And one person died in Carbondale due to a head injury sustained in the storm, The Southern reported.

A truck driver who had to be extricated from an overturned semitrailer was in serious condition at a hospital in the Carbondale area. About six other patients with minor injuries were being treated at the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, a health official said.

Trees are down and siding from homes is strewn everywhere, Carbondale Township Fire Captain Mark Black said. His firefighters were cutting trees out of the roadway so they can get their trucks out.

A TV station in Carterville, Ill., suffered damage to its roof and went off the air temporarily, KFVS reported on its Twitter feed.

According to the National Weather Service, winds were blowing between 70 and 90 miles per hour in the area at midday Friday.  Wind gusts near Carbondale reached 100 miles per hour as the storm's hook echo passed through.

A senior at Southern Illinois University, Pat Bunyon, shared photos of the damage.  A university spokesman said SIU may cancel Saturday's graduation ceremonies if the power doesn't come back on.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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