(NECN/KLPR-KTVI: St. Louis, Mo.) - Residents in and around the city of St. Louis are picking up the pieces this morning, after a round of severe weather spawned tornadoes that flattened homes and businesses. St. Louis-Lambert Airport was shut down by damage from an apparent tornado, which ripped off a section of the roof and shattered about half the windows in the airport.
So far., no deaths from the storms have been reported.
Elsewhere in Missouri, unconfirmed tornadoes were reported in several counties in the
St. Louis area, and at one point utility company Ameren Missouri reported more than 47,000 power outages, with another 7,000 reported in Illinois.
In the suburbs of Maryland Heights and New Melle, the storms damaged several dozen homes but there were no immediate reports of major injuries. Some playground equipment in New Melle was left in a twisted heap by the storm that also tore up roofs and ripped off siding.
Damage, possibly from a tornado, was also reported at several towns near the airport - Bridgeton, St. Ann, Ferguson and Florissant. Interstate 270 in that area was closed. Trees and power lines were down. A tractor-trailer was sitting on its end.
In downtown St. Louis, Busch Stadium officials hurriedly moved Cardinals fans to a safe area as tornado sirens blared. The game with the Cincinnati Reds was delayed for hours but later resumed.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report
