Potosi, Missouri, hit by tornado

Severe weather spawned multiple tornadoes in Missouri on Wednesday, including this one seen from Old Mines just north of Potosi. 

POTOSI, Mo. – Emergency crews rushed to Washington County, Missouri, after at least one tornado swept through the area on Wednesday, causing significant damage outside of St. Louis. 

First responders reported that numerous homes in the region, particularly around the county seat of Potosi, were impacted by the tornado, possibly trapping people in their homes.

Authorities said the occupants of one of the homes appeared to be OK, but search and rescue efforts were still ongoing in other structures around the county.

The severe weather occurred after the National Weather Service office had issued a Tornado Warning for the area, alerting residents of a large supercell with an embedded tornado.

The city of Potosi took action ahead of the severe weather event by closing City Hall at 2 p.m. in preparation for the thunderstorms and encouraged residents to monitor the latest weather conditions.

Missouri funnel cloud spotted on 4/2/2025

(Keegan Warden / FOX Weather)

ATTITUDES TOWARD TORNADO PREPAREDNESS IN US CHANGING AS STORM RISK ZONES SHIFT

Following the twister, widespread power outages affected more than 500 customers in Washington County, according to power outage data.

As of Wednesday evening, damage assessments were still ongoing and authorities were still working to understand the full extent of the impact, particularly around Potosi. 

The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed that the tornado lifted while northeast of the town, but the exact path and severity of the damage still needed to be evaluated by NWS meteorologists.

At least four other tornadoes were reported in the Show Me State during what could be a substantial severe weather event for the heartland of the U.S. and nearby Tennessee and Ohio valleys.

Video from Nevada, Missouri, showed buildings badly damaged earlier Wednesday, with roofs ripped off and debris littering streets.

Trooper Mike McClure told FOX Weather that power lines were down, and several businesses were damaged, including a hotel, but there were no reported fatalities.