(Bloomberg) — Tornadoes ripped through Missouri late Thursday, killing three people in the state capital, injuring nine and causing extensive damage. Twisters have swept across the Great Plains and Midwest over the past several days, along with violent thunderstorms that have led to widespread flooding and kept farmers from planting fields. A tornado watch, meaning the storms could form at any time, extends from central Missouri into southern Illinois, the National Weather Service said. About 43,000 people live in Jefferson City, the capital city located on the banks of the Missouri River. Just before the tornado struck, the National Weather Service tweeted out a warning "violent tornado confirmed — shelter now!" at 11:47 p.m. "We have damage to state buildings and power is down in some areas," Governor Mike Parson said in a tweet Thursday. "We're doing okay but praying for those that were caught in damage." |

Midwest farm belt soaked

Earlier this week, the heavy rain, high winds and hail that swept across the southern Great Plains is now headed to Arkansas and Missouri, where farmers are already struggling to get crops in the ground in a brutally wet spring. The massive outbreak of tornadoes forecast Monday didn't materialize, but the system still managed to damage homes and close a stretch of Interstate 40 in Oklahoma under flood waters. There were no reported deaths. There were, however, widespread reports of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain, with some areas getting as much as 8 inches, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. "There is still a squall line in east Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas," Chenard said. "Those are the hardest hit areas and it is almost over there with just a few more hours of heavy rain." The Great Plains and Midwest have been battered by storms this year, leaving the Mississippi River at dangerously high levels, causing record floods in Nebraska and Iowa and delaying corn and soybean planting across the region. Like most of the central U.S., planting in Missouri and Arkansas is falling behind both the five-year averages and the pace set last year as a result of the wet weather. |

Delayed planting

Missouri only has 62% of its corn planted, versus 95% a year ago through May 19, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture crop planting progress report. Soybeans are also lagging with only 9% of fields planted versus 58% a year ago. In Arkansas, only 31% of soybeans have been planted versus 78% a year ago. Tornado watches were posted in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas early Tuesday, while flood warnings and advisories reached from the Texas Panhandle to southern Illinois. See also: |

• Weathering the storm: Top 10 states for tornadoes in 2018
• 5 keys to preparing for tornadoes

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.