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The National Weather Service has confirmed 12 tornadoes hit in parts of Missouri, southwestern Illinois and northeast Kansas as severe storms raked the region on Sunday.
The two strongest tornadoes were rated EF3, including one that tore through St. Mary, Missouri, across the Mississippi River and over parts of Chester, Illinois, the St. Louis office of the weather service said in a tweet late Tuesday. The other hit Fredericktown, Missouri.
An EF3 tornado is considered strong with winds ranging from 136-165 mph (219-266 kph).
Two weak EF1 tornadoes, with wind speeds of 86-110 mph (138-177 kph) touched down on rural parts of Reynolds and Madison counties in southeast Missouri. The fifth tornado near Richview, Illinois, rated weakest on the enhanced Fujita scale at EF0, with wind speeds of less than 85 mph (137 kph).
The weather service office in Kansas City said the strongest tornado in northwest Missouri was an EF2 near Purdin in Linn County. An EF1 tornado moved through Clinton and Caldwell counties.
Five EF0 tornadoes were confirmed, including one near Bendena, Kansas, in Doniphan County. The others were near Pattonsburg, Chillicothe and two near Sedalia in Missouri.
The storms caused power outages and damaged trees, power structures and some buildings, but left no serious injuries.
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