St. Louis airport closed indefinitely after severe storm

Tornado hits St. Louis airportSTORY HIGHLIGHTSThe airport's director says operations will not resume "until we know it's safe""The airport looks like a war zone," one witness saysFour people are transported to hospitals with apparently minor injuriesWitnesses say winds twist metal, break windows and blow off doorsIf severe weather happens near you, we want to hear your story. Share your photos and videos with CNN iReport, but please be careful.
See more about this story from CNN affiliates KSDK, KPLR.

(CNN) -- Thankful that only a few people were injured, officials at the closed airport in St. Louis awaited daylight to get a better look at significant damage spawned by a possible tornado.

A severe storm and reported tornado touchdown Friday evening shattered windows and sent debris raining down on passengers at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

A van was left hanging precariously off the edge of a parking garage. A video posted on YouTube showed strong winds pushing a Southwest Airlines plane away from a walkway and passengers moving quickly away from tall windows.

The airport remained closed Saturday morning.

"It may be an hour by hour situation," said airport spokesman Jeff Lea, as crews survey the runways and terminal.

Five people were taken to hospitals for minor injuries and about a dozen others were treated at the airport for cuts and scrapes after the storm struck around 8:15 p.m. Friday, said Lea.

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Midwest, South still threatened by severe weather

By the CNN Wire Staff STORY HIGHLIGHTSParts of seven states under tornado watch early WednesdayThe watches are set to expire later Wednesday morning.Obama signs North Carolina disaster declarationThe weather service confirms at least 114 tornadoes in last week's stormsIf severe weather happens near you, we want to hear your story. Share your photos and videos with CNN iReport, but please be careful. See more from CNN affiliate WHAS.

(CNN) -- The threat of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes continued Wednesday to hang over portions of the Midwest and South, after another round of violent weather pummeled parts of both regions the day before, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service early Wednesday placed portions of eastern Kentucky, southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia and West Virginia under a tornado watch until 9 a.m. Wednesday. Parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee remain under a tornado watch until 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

So far, there have been no reports of injuries or deaths from the latest round of storms, according to emergency management officials and law enforcement. Last week, violent storms and tornadoes killed at least 46 people in the southeastern United States.

Early Wednesday morning, firefighters in Celina, Ohio, battled blazes that broke out after severe weather swept through the area. The fires damaged multiple homes and business, according to Lt. Chris Klein of the Celina fire department.

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Severe weather hits central Florida

Tornado touches down in FloridaSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: 25 homes in Hillsborough County were damaged by the stormThunderstorm and tornado warnings are in effect until 8 p.m. ETReports that an airport building collapsed, trapping 70 people, are false, police sayFlorida's emergency management office says it has deployed personnel to the airportCheck out CNN affiliates Bay News 9 and WFLA-TV in the Tampa area for the latest developments.

(CNN) -- Severe weather tore across central Florida on Thursday, causing damage and spawning an apparent tornado in Tampa, the National Weather Service said.

A heavy storm with strong winds hit the Sun 'n Fun aviation fair at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, causing "extensive minor damage and reports of minor injuries," but "all persons so far have been accounted for," said Sgt. Terri Smith of the Lakeland Police Department.

The National Weather Service had reported a building collapse that trapped 70 people at the airport, but that report was false, Smith said.

The Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In & Expo is a six-day aviation-themed festival that provides the primary source of funding for Sun 'n Fun, a nonprofit organization, and its wholly owned subsidiary, the Florida Air Museum.

Greg Lane, a Sun 'n Fun volunteer who is working with a low-power AM radio station at the airport, said the "sky went from gray to black to bluish green" as the storm rolled in.

"You couldn't see the tents that were 50 feet across the drive from us," he said.

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