A violent tornado in Missouri caught sleeping residents off guard late Wednesday night, as heavy storms continued to bring chaos across the state, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m., a powerful tornado known as a "Wedge Tornado" -- one in which the funnel is wider than it is tall -- was spotted over Jefferson City. It moved at 40 mph and sent debris 13,000 feet into the air.
More than 150 miles southwest, three people died in Golden City, Missouri, and several others in Carl Junction were injured.
The tornadoes are part of a deadly spring storm system that has unleashed drenching rain, flash flooding and hail in the central United States -- along with more than 130 reports of tornadoes in five days.