Three people have died in Barton County and one has serious injuries after tornados hit southwest and central Missouri late Wednesday night.
The three who died lived just outside Golden City, Missouri, about an hour’s drive west of Springfield.
Sergeant John Luekenhoff with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop D says the bodies of a married couple in their 80s were found about 200 yards from their home. They were identified as Kenneth G. Harris, age 86, and Opal P. Harris, age 83, both of Golden City.
A third victim, according to Lueckenhoff, was Betty Berg, age 56, who died when her mobile home sustained major damage. Mark Berg, who was in the same residence, was taken to Freeman Hospital in Joplin with serious injuries.
Also, the MFA fertilizer plant in Golden City lost the roof to one of its fertilizer bins: everyone within a one-mile radius was evacuated as a precaution against hazardous material.
The National Weather Service says it will send teams to assess the damage in Barton County Thursday.