Weather Service Report on Friday's Tornados

(St. Louis, MO) National Weather Service Survey Teams are working with data from last Friday's numerous severe thunderstorms which formed ahead of an approaching cold front during the late afternoon and evening hours December 10th. Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes occurred across central and eastern Missouri as well as south central Illinois. Two of the tornadoes were rated EF3, or very strong, and were responsible for 7 fatalities. One death was near Defiance, Missouri while there were six deaths at an Amazon Facility near Edwardsville, Illinois. Governor Mike Parson toured storm damaged areas in Defiance and Pemiscott County over the weekend. As of late Sunday evening officials with the National Weather service say there were five confirmed tornados include an EF3 at Defiance, MO, an EF3 in Edwardsville, IL, an EF2 at Ellington, MO, an EF1 in Ramsey, IL, and an EF0 in Wellsville, MO. The top wind speeds associated with the storms were 165 at Defiance, and 150 mph at Edwardsville.