Severe weather, including possible tornadoes, led to at least 21 fatalities across Missouri and Kentucky from Friday into Saturday, with Kentucky reporting 14 deaths. Authorities activated the National Guard in response to the storms, with extensive damage affecting around 5,000 buildings in St. Louis, where officials reported numerous injuries and ongoing search-and-rescue operations. As power outages impacted over 183,000 customers in the region, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem offered federal assistance to the affected states.