Gov. Nixon declares a state of emergency after storms

Gov. Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in Missouri after severe storms and tornadoes caused damage in the St. Louis region and other areas of the state.

Tornadoes were confirmed in St. Louis Wednesday night while strong thunderstorms and straight line winds caused damage and power outages in southern sections of the state.

Nixon is planning to visit the affected areas to survey the damage and meet with local officials on Thursday.

According to the governor’s office, the State Emergency Operations Center has been actively monitoring the storms.

Gov. Nixon has also activated the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan, which allows state agencies to coordinate directly with local jurisdictions to provide emergency services.