ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — Destruction can be seen in parts of the region, following severe weather on Friday night.
The following morning, the National Weather Service of St. Louis announced that it had found damage of at least EF-3 in the area 2.5 miles west of Defiance on Highway F. However, the survey is ongoing so it's possible that rating could increase, NWS said.
The New Melle Fire Protection District says their crews responded to devastation not far from where the NWS surveyed.
According to a Facebook post, the fire station said that the path of destruction ran along three miles of Highway F, from the area of Homestead Ridge Drive to Highway 94.
Crews had to clear roads of trees and debris in order to get heavy equipment through to assist in their recovery efforts. As they worked, they found multiple homes were completely destroyed, with nothing left but the foundations.
One scene the New Melle Fire Protection District responded to was a large barn that had collapsed with horses inside. At the time, crews could see 4 horses were visible and alive, but heavily trapped.
Rescuers worked five hours to take the barn apart with chainsaws and skid steers to free the horses. Five veterinarians came to help with sedating and treating the animals.
The horses were rescued from the barn, though one of them later died. Another one was dead before crews even arrived.
"There was very little warning of what was to come," the station said on Facebook. They thanked everyone who helped mitigate the disaster.
