April 3 (Reuters) - A storm front packing funnel clouds, large hail and heavy rains rolled through the Midwest and southern United States on Thursday, leaving in its path downed trees and damaged homes, according to local media reports and police.
Officials in Denton, Texas were assessing the damage after an early evening storm uprooted trees and dropped golf ball to softball size hail, according to Ryan Grelle, spokesman for the city's police department.
"Did we dodge a bullet, yes," Grelle said.
In an area from the center of Texas to the northeast corner of Missouri, the National Weather Service noted 34 reports of strong winds that peeled off roofs and downed power lines, and 115 reports of hail.
In the St. Louis suburb of University City, 94 homes were damaged, 20 severely, from a tornado that hit shortly before 6 a.m. on Thursday, said City Manager Lehman Walker. The twister also uprooted large trees and downed power lines but caused no injuries, he said.
The EF-1 tornado packed winds of about 100 miles (160 km) per hour, according to Jayson Gosselin, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in St. Louis. The EF-1 rating is the weakest on the five-step scale of tornado strength.
The storm also produced heavy rain, causing streams to overflow, flooding some streets, Gosselin said.
In Johnson County, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Kansas City, up to 5 inches (13 cm) of rain on Wednesday and early Thursday morning flooded railroad tracks and suspended Amtrak rail service through the area, officials said.
"I have been here 13 years and never has Amtrak been shut down because of flooding," said Gloria Michalski, director of Johnson County emergency services.
One major state highway, along with many other roads, was closed because of flooding for part of Thursday morning, Michalski said. At least two motorists required water rescues, she said. (Reporting By Kevin Murphy and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Scott Malone, Gunna Dickson and Diane Craft)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.