Missouri farmers are no strangers to unpredictable weather, with sudden storms bringing the occasional crack of thunder and flash of lightning. However, recent severe weather and flooding have taken a devastating toll on the region.

For Springfield dairy farmer Jared Blackwelder and his wife Misty, Saturday started like any other. After feeding their cows in the morning, they heard loud crashes in the distance but didn’t think much of it. That evening, when Blackwelder went to bring the herd in for milking, he was met with a heartbreaking sight—32 of his dairy cows lay dead in a heap on the mulch.

“It’s a common occurrence. It does happen,” said Stan Coday, president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau. “The thing that made this the worst was just the sheer number of cows that were affected.” A local veterinarian later confirmed that lightning was the cause.

For Blackwelder, the loss is both emotional and financial. Each organic dairy cow was valued between $2,000 and $2,500, totaling nearly $60,000 in losses. While he has insurance, he’s uncertain whether it will cover this disaster.

“This really knocks you hard,” Blackwelder admitted. “Dairy cattle aren’t just livestock—you work with them every day.”