Jefferson City ravaged by the tornado; 3 people killed in Joplin, Missouri: NPR

A series of devastating storms Wednesday night caused multiple tornadoes that damaged several buildings and caused at least three deaths in Missouri.

The National Weather Service confirmed that the Missouri capital, Jefferson City, had been hit by a "violent tornado". The tornado caused an endless stream of calls to 911, some reporting serious injuries.

At least three people were previously killed in Joplin, southwest of the state.

In Jefferson City, several buildings were damaged, including a large apartment complex. Local media reported that emergency teams in Jefferson City were trying to rescue people stranded in buildings, but that power lines were making rescue difficult.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent Missouri Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team, to assist in its recovery efforts, KOMU reported.

"We're fine, but we're praying for those who have been damaged," Governor Mike Parson m said. "Some are still trapped."

At one point, more than 13,000 customers in the metropolitan area were de-energized and seven gas leaks were reported.

"The damage reported from Jefferson City is heartbreaking," says Matt Beckwith, KOMU meteorologist m said, noting the reports of people trapped in their basement. He added, "If you believe in prayer, pray please."

"Anything that comes from the debris of a roof on a street, uprooted trees, vehicles and roofs of businesses has been damaged," Lt. Col. David Williams told reporters. Jefferson City Police Department.

"The buildings here are crushed," said KMIZ reporter Ashley Strohmier, reporting on Ellis Boulevard near Highway 54. "The roofs are collapsed, trees are planted."

"The power lines have crushed – absolutely crushed – Riley Chevrolet cars in the front," continued Strohmier. "It looks like their service building is completely destroyed, there's a truck-trailer that's gone."

After the storm, "people were crying and fled from the apartments, asking where their loved ones were," she said.

Another KMIZ reporter, Sara Maslar-Donar, said the back part of a daycare building had been "completely destroyed" and that a gas station had been "torn apart". She called it "just a small sample of the devastation we see".

At the 2 am press conference, the police were still trying to determine the extent of the damage. "Daylight will certainly help us identify areas that have been affected," Williams said.

Tornado warnings continued in Missouri throughout the evening.

Earlier, at least three people were killed and several others injured after a tornado shot near Joplin, Missouri on Wednesday night.

The tornado hit just north of Joplin, about 150 miles south of Kansas City. Law Enforcement Officials confirmed three deaths in nearby Barton County, as well as several injuries.

This tornado hit the ground eight years after the next day. Another tornado in Joplin killed more than 150 people, injured more than 1,000 and destroyed a third of the city. It was the deadliest tornado that hit the United States for more than 60 years.