Severe storms devastate Southeast Missouri, communities come together in aftermath

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) — A powerful storm tore through southeast Missouri overnight, leaving a path of destruction. Trees smashed through homes, business roofs were ripped away, and residents scrambled for safety as tornadoes swept through the region.

Jesse Mondy, a Poplar Bluff resident, took no chances when the storm hit.

“I live in a sturdy brick home right here in Poplar Bluff, but I have a ten year old little girl,” Mondy said. “So we went to my dad’s underground house.”

The storm was severe enough, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe traveled to Poplar Bluff to assess the damage and assist in recovery efforts.

“Last night’s storms had a horrific path,” Kehoe said. “Over 27 counties were affected significantly. At one time between midnight and 4 a.m., we had 150 fires, over 150,000 people without electricity, multiple tornadoes, fatalities, looting, auto accidents, just an armageddon situation for emergency response. But our emergency teams and local police departments have done an unbelievable job coordinating efforts.”

Kehoe urged Missourians to support one another in the aftermath of the destruction.

“Try to help each other, help your neighbors,” he said. “Resources are stretched, but we have mobilized assistance from unaffected parts of the state to these impacted areas in southeast Missouri. Help is arriving as we speak.”

Residents wasted no time stepping up to aid in recovery. Ryan Davis, a Poplar Bluff local, described the way the community has came together.

“You see everybody out here wanting to help each other. It’s neighborly, it’s the right thing to do,” Davis said. “We’ve got so much division in this country, but out here, nobody cares about politics. We’re all just Americans helping each other out.”

In addition to volunteer efforts, emergency shelters have been set up to support displaced families. Jeff Shawan, director of a Poplar Bluff shelter, described the conditions as basic but crucial at the Black River Coliseum.

We’re offering cots and three meals a day,” Shawan said. “Some people came in straight from the ER without even shoes. The community always steps up in times like this.”

Despite the devastation, Shawan found hope in the response from the community.

“My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones,” he said. “But I’m so proud of Butler County and the neighboring counties. We’re all working together to speed up the recovery.”

As cleanup efforts continue, Poplar Bluff and surrounding communities face a long road in rebuilding. But with neighbors supporting one another, the region is proving its perseverance in the face of disaster.