Nine tornadoes struck Missouri and Kentucky on May 16, including a deadly EF3 in Scott County that killed two people and destroyed homes. The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes up to EF4 strength.

Authorities in Kentucky expect the death toll of 14 to increase as they continue to search the ravaged areas. Nine of the dead were in Laurel County, where a tornado hit just before midnight on May 16, the sheriff's office said. Many more were injured there.

Severe Weather in the U.S. Advertisement Supported by In Missouri and Kentucky alone, tornadoes killed at least 25 people, officials said. The spring storm season has been a brutal one for the region.

Additionally, there was no evidence that tornado sirens in the area had been deactivated by the Trump administration's budget cuts — if there was, the people affected by the storm certainly would have noted that fact in interviews.

Sen. Josh Hawley did not hold back on demanding accountability for insurance providers, saying "faithful premium payers" deserve their claims grants as the Midwest fights to recover from deadly storms.

On May 18, Beshear confirmed the death of an adult woman from Russell County, which is 116 miles south of Louisville, bringing Kentucky's confirmed death toll up to 19, according to his post on X. The victim's age was not disclosed.

Portsmouth-based Mercy Chefs, a disaster relief organization, is providing aid in Kentucky and Missouri following a deadly tornado outbreak in the region.

Severe storms across parts of the U.S. Midwest and South have left at least 23 people dead. Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday that there were 14 weather-related deaths in Kentucky — including from what appeared to be a devastating tornado.