Woman killed by downed power lines in backyard during Missouri storms, fiancé says

A woman found dead near downed power lines is believed to have died from electrocution during severe weather in Missouri, family and officials say.

Her death is one of a dozen storm-related fatalities confirmed statewide as of March 15, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a news release. That number may rise as recovery efforts continue across the state, which was battered by powerful winds and tornadoes on the night of Friday, March 14, and into the morning.

Police responded to a 911 call from a home in Florissant and found a woman lying in the backyard next to downed power lines, the St. Louis County Police Department said in a news release. The woman, identified as 43-year-old Jennifer Brewington, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It appears Ms. Brewington was in the backyard of her residence assessing possible damage when she encountered an electrical line,” police said.

Her fiancé, Ethan Foss, said Brewington saw a small fire in the backyard and he told her to call 911. He spoke to her shortly after and everything was fine at the home they shared with Brewington’s mother, KSDK reported.

Brewington told him she was going to bed and would see him in the morning, Foss told the outlet. Minutes passed and her mother noticed the back door was open — something that was unusual because they have pets — then saw her near the lines and dialed 911, Foss said.

Foss is “numb,” he told the outlet, adding that he was going to marry Brewington in October.

Florissant is a roughly 20-mile drive northwest from downtown St. Louis.

Brewington is the only storm-related death confirmed in St. Louis County, according to the state Highway Patrol. There were three fatalities in Ozark County, six in Wayne County, and one death each in Butler and Jefferson counties.

This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Woman killed by downed power lines in backyard during Missouri storms, fiancé says."