A storm that produced a devastating tornado in the St. Louis, Missouri, area Friday afternoon has left at least five people dead and at least 10 injured, according to local authorities.

A significant severe weather outbreak is unfolding across the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Friday, placing more than 146 million individuals under alert.

Mid-May is living up to its reputation for severe weather as an active weather pattern brings the threat of strong tornadoes, damaging hail and intense, destructive wind gusts over multiple days.

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

At least 14 people have died in Kentucky and seven in Missouri, authorities say, as severe weather including tornadoes, hail and storms sweeps the central U.S.