PILOT GROVE — No casualties to people or livestock have been reported after a possible tornado struck Cooper County before 9 a.m. Wednesday, officials told KOMU 8 News.
Missouri 135 is closed from Pilot Grove to Interstate 70 due to storm damage. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the road will remain closed until further notice.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says serious damage occurred in Pilot Grove.Beth Finello, CBM, KOMU 8 Meteorologist
Officials told KOMU 8 News that at least 10 buildings were damaged in the storm.
Katy Manor nursing home was one of the structures hit by the tornado, according to a Facebook post. The nursing home said all residents were taken to safe places during the tornado warning and are OK.
A storage shed in the back took the biggest hit, the nursing home said, and there was minor roof damage on the facility itself.
Most of the shed's roof is gone and in pieces, leaving equipment like wheelchairs, walkers and shower chairs inside damaged.
A radar-indicated tornado was reported in the Cooper County town of Pilot Grove Wednesday morning.
There are 269 Ameren customers are without power in Cooper County as of 1 p.m., according to PowerOutage.us. Over 800 Co-Mo Electric Cooperative customers were without power at 9 a.m. Wednesday, but service has been restored to these customers.
Pilot Grove Schools informed families on Facebook that students were safe and sound in their safe locations during the storms and returned to learning around 10 a.m.
The school district educates high, middle, elementary and preschoolers on a single campus. The district said older students were reading to its younger students while in its shelter location.
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Pilot Grove outdoor warning sirens did not sound
Pilot Grove Mayor Dennis Knipp confirmed outdoor warning sirens did not sound in Pilot Grove, despite being triggered by the Cooper County Emergency Management Agency.
The Cooper County Emergency Management Agency is investigating and does not currently know why the sirens did not sound when activated, Knipp told KOMU 8.
Multiple Pilot Grove residents told KOMU 8 they did not hear the warning sirens and were alerted to the tornado warning by a text message.
The mayor said the warning sirens were tested Tuesday and operated properly.
The emergency management agency away is weeks away from implementing a fully digital warning system, the mayor said.
Outdoor warning sirens are not meant to be heard indoors and should never be the primary method of receiving severe weather alerts.
KOMU 8 Chief Meteorologist Matt Beckwith recommends people have at least two independent ways to receive weather alerts, not including outdoor warning sirens.
Weather warnings can be delivered through the following channels:
- Storm Mode Coverage on KOMU 8
- Streaming on KOMU.com and the KOMU 8 News app
- KOMU 8 First Alert Weather App
- NOAA Weather Radio
- KOMU 8 First Alert Weather on Cumulus Radio stations
- Wireless Emergency Alerts
KOMU 8 News has reporters on the scene and will provide updates on-air and on our website.
To report an error or typo, email news@komu.com. Live updates to this developing story are available here.
