At least five people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms including a possible tornado swept through St. Louis.
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The storms Friday afternoon tore roofs off some buildings, ripped bricks off of siding and downed trees and power lines as residents were urged to take cover.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed the deaths at a media briefing.
"This is truly, truly devastating," Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency.
National Weather Service radar indicated that a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World's Fair and Olympic Games the same year, Pfahler said.
At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.
"Pray for our church," Centennial Christian posted on its Facebook page.
Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across the street from the church, heard an alert on his phone and then the lights went out.
"And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind," he said. He and his brother went into the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he thought: "Everything was tore up."
Simmons said the woman who died was a member of the church who was there every day.
Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute, and officials urged people to avoid driving if possible.
"If you do not have to travel, PLEASE STAY HOME," the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said in a social media post.
The upper stories of the Harlem Taproom's brick building were demolished when the storm came through, leaving piles of bricks around the outside. About 20 people were inside, but they huddled in the back of the building and none of them were hurt, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Christy Childs, a spokesperson for the Saint Louis Zoo, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.
"We can't definitively say whether or not it was a tornado -- it likely was," National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said. Radar also confirmed a tornado above Venice, Illinois, on Friday afternoon. Venice is northeast of St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River.
The storms were part of a severe weather system that spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, downed trees, left thousands without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.