Missouri

Preparing for Missouri’s tornado season is critical for readiness

Published

12 months ago

March 11, 2025

Preparing for Missouri’s tornado season is critical for readiness

A tornado touched down Dec. 31, 2010, on Fort Leonard Wood, causing an estimated $90 million in damage.
(Photo Credit: Catherine Threat, 88th Regional Support Command)

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FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Just like Fort Leonard Wood’s warriors train every day to be mission ready, preparing for severe weather is essential to readying the community for Missouri’s tornado season.

“Missouri’s tornado season occurs from April to June and tends to peak in May,” said Don Busbice Jr., U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood safety director.

Although tornadoes often happen in the springtime, they are a year-round threat in Missouri, according to Busbice, who described an EF-3 tornado, approximately a quarter of a mile wide, that touched down on New Year’s Eve at Fort Leonard Wood about 14 years ago.

“It was on the ground for seven minutes and resulted in destroyed homes and the loss of half of the water treatment plant,” Busbice said.

According to ready.gov, tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that extend from a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes can destroy buildings, flip cars and create deadly flying debris, with intense winds at more than 200 miles per hour.

Busbice said a tornado can feel like “complete chaos” if you aren’t prepared and paying attention to weather watches and warnings.

Busbice also pointed out the National Weather Service in Missouri and Fort Leonard Wood have tornado sirens in place to alert citizens to observe conditions.

“Fort Leonard Wood tests the mass notification system monthly,” Busbice said.

According to the weather service, there are three key alerts to watch out for — a tornado watch, a tornado warning and a tornado emergency.

Tornado Watch: Be prepared. Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your emergency plans, take inventory of your supplies and check your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching. The watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.

Tornado Warning: Take action. A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent danger to life and property. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office. Warnings typically encompass a much smaller area that may be impacted by a tornado identified by a forecaster on radar or by a trained spotter.

Tornado Emergency: Seek shelter immediately. A tornado emergency is the NWS’s highest alert level. It is issued when a violent tornado has touched down in the watch area. There is a severe threat to human life and property, with catastrophic damage confirmed. Immediately seek refuge in the safest location possible. Call friends and family who are within the watch area to ensure they are aware of the situation. Once safe, be sure to monitor your local forecast for the latest updates.

In the event of a tornado warning, Busbice said, people should “enable your tornado response plan.”

According to the weather service, acting quickly is key to staying safe and minimizing impacts.

At your house: If you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement, safe room or an interior room away from windows. Don’t forget pets if time allows.

At your workplace or school: Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums or auditoriums.

Outside: Seek shelter inside a sturdy building immediately if a tornado is approaching. Sheds and storage facilities are not safe. Neither is a mobile home or tent. If you have time, get to a safe building.

In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.

According to Terry Moore, supervisory range planner with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, the installation has more than 700 tornado safety shelters for service members to seek shelter in while training on Fort Leonard Wood’s ranges.

“Each shelter can house up to 14 people,” Moore said. “It is good to know they are there when we need them.”

Matthew Mertz, Fort Leonard Wood’s installation emergency manager, said accountability after the weather event is just as important as the preparation.

“Accountability allows supervisors to ensure their employees are safe from immediate danger,” Mertz said.

This goes for family members as well — according to the National Weather Service’s tornado safety website, people should contact loved ones to let them know, “you’re okay, so they can help spread the word.”

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for Feb. 27, 2026

Published

8 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Midday: 3-5-8

Midday Wild: 6

Evening: 4-3-8

Evening Wild: 3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Midday: 8-0-1-0

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 2-6-8-2

Evening Wild: 3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Early Bird: 02

Morning: 14

Matinee: 09

Prime Time: 09

Night Owl: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

06-14-25-26-38

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

See how much new unemployment claims in Missouri fell last week

Published

20 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

See how much new unemployment claims in Missouri fell last week

Staff reports
| USA TODAY Network

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Missouri dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 2,182 in the week ending February 21, down from 2,462 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-4-0

Midday Wild: 0

Evening: 5-3-9

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-7-1-7

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 4-8-6-3

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Early Bird: 10

Morning: 10

Matinee: 14

Prime Time: 10

Night Owl: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

05-20-24-28-33

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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