The National Weather Service in Paducah has confirmed that at least nine tornadoes touched down across the western Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri region Friday afternoon and evening.

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down on Friday night. A tornado outbreak spanned across Kentucky with nine tornadoes, one touching down in Allegre and tracking six miles.

The Jackson, Kentucky, office is one of at least four such facilities across the country that is so short-staffed that it is no longer routinely operating 24/7.

The National Weather Service has released the details of the tornado that swept through Morganfield Friday. A release obtained by Eyewitness News says an EF3 tornado hit Morganfield leaving four people with injuries.

Preliminary storm surveys from the National Weather Service have confirmed significant tornado damage across multiple Kentucky counties following the recent severe weather outbreak.

Nine tornadoes struck Missouri and Kentucky on May 16, including a deadly EF3 in Scott County that killed two people and destroyed homes. The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes up to EF4 strength.

Due to staffing shortages, the National Weather Service in Jackson no longer has overnight staff. But NWS and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear say the office was staffed Friday night and early Saturday.

The nationwide tornado threat is expected to downshift by Wednesday, with several relatively quiet days in the offing. Late May is still peak season, however, so pockets of severe weather could begin cropping up by the weekend into next week across the Southern Plains.

A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged hundreds of homes, tossed vehicles, left many homeless, and killed at least 19 people, most of them in southeastern Laurel County.

The Jackson, Kentucky office is one of a growing number of forecast offices unable to cover an overnight shift since the Trump administration cut staffing levels through buyouts and firings.