Wednesday night, significantly strong winds across Boone County caused several trees to be blown across intersections and power lines to fall, leaving blocked roads and citizens without electricity.
The National Weather Service reported a record-breaking number of hurricane-force thunderstorm wind gusts that reached at least 75 miles per hour across the country. At least 55 moved across the U.S., the highest daily number since 2004.
This storm traveled across the Midwest and left hundreds of thousands of people without power across the country. Additionally, there were at least 21 reports of tornadoes across Nebraska and Iowa.
While not as strong, wind caused damage in Boone County. Wind speed peaked at a high of 51 miles per hour around 9 p.m. in the Columbia area and weakened after.
Around 9 p.m., a traffic light snapped and blocked the roadway at 7th Street and Cherry Street. The intersection was clear by 10:30 p.m.
A timeline in the Springfield News-Leader detailed some of the damage. Trees were blown down in Harrisburg and Hallsville, as well as across Old Plank Road near Route K in Columbia, and another onto the roadway intersection of E. Highway WW and S. Rangeline Road. Power lines were downed on Providence Road and Wilkes Boulevard.
The storms were not expected to continue Thursday in Columbia. According to the National Weather Service, a few strong storms were possible across Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday afternoon. Southeastern Missouri had a probable chance of experiencing some of this storm.
In severe thunderstorms, the National Weather Service recommends people remain inside while the storm is passing through and get low and underground if possible. It's also advised to put as many barriers between yourself and outside.
For more updates on Wednesday night's weather forecast, visit spc.noaa.gov.
