Gov. Jay Nixon's administration says three people have been killed in severe storms that swept across southern Missouri.
Nixon cited the three fatalities in a news release as he headed to view the damage.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O'Donnell says one of the deaths occurred in the Buffalo area, another in the Cassville area, and the third in the Puxico area.
The storm system that moved across the state overnight and early Wednesday morning spawned several apparent tornadoes, including one that hit the entertainment district in the popular tourist destination of Branson.