Rolla Public Schools cancels classes for the week after EF-2 tornado hits
PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Rolla Public Schools announced Sunday that schools will be closed all week.
According to a social media post from the district, due to the extensive damage to buildings caused by Friday night's storm, school will not be in session this week. The days are not expected to impact the calendar or spring break, the post says.
Classes are expected to resume March 31.
The National Weather Service in Springfield confirmed on Sunday that an EF-2 tornado hit Phelps County and Rolla on Friday night. The tornado was on the ground for 8 minutes and traveled about 8.7 miles.
According to a social media post from Phelps County Emergency Management, a person died in Phelps County after a generator was used inside of a home. The post states utility teams are working to restore power and are hopeful power will be restored within a week.
A statewide outage map shows 898 people were still without power in Phelps County as of 7 a.m. Monday.
Governor Kehoe provides updates on storm response
Gov. Mike Kehoe gave an update on Missouri's storm response and recovery efforts on Sunday.
According to a news release, hundreds of homes, schools and businesses have been destroyed or severely damaged. Kehoe spent Saturday surveying the hardest hit areas, including Wayne, Butler, and Jefferson counties.
Wayne County experienced six of the 12 reported deaths in the state.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Transportation have been deployed to clear debris and reopen roads, the release says.
Kehoe has been in direct contact with the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency, who are monitoring the situation and are ready to assist.
The State Emergency Management Agency is also working with local emergency managers assessing damage in preparation for a federal major disaster declaration request. SEMA has also shifted additional regional coordinators into the most impacted areas of the state, according to the release.
"The scale of devastation across our state is staggering. While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action—getting power restored, clearing debris, and ensuring our communities have the resources they need to recover," Kehoe said."
Roughly 47,000 people were still without power Sunday.
During the peak of the storm, more than 140,000 homes and businesses were without power. 101 roads were also closed due to debris, the release says.
12 people have been killed and one person was still missing as of Sunday.
