LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Tornadoes touched down in the upper Midwest and northern Arkansas on Tuesday, killing at least two people, as a spring-like storm system posed a risk to 45 million people.
Compact but strong storms known as supercells raked parts of the central U.S., causing damage from Arkansas to Iowa and Illinois. Wind-whipped wildfires destroyed homes in Texas.
This photo provided by Tim Creedon shows his baseball and a hailstone that fell in the backyard of Creedon’s home in Ottawa, Ill., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has activated the state’s emergency operations center as local officials reported damage from tornados spawned by a late-winter storm system. (Tim Creedon via AP)
At Ottawa, Illinois, state Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Patti Thompson said a tornado victim was killed by an uprooted tree. Minor injuries were also reported at an Ottawa nursing home, but Thompson said the number of those hurt in the twisters was not known.
Meanwhile, one person was killed when an apparent tornado ripped through Perry County, Missouri, about 80 miles south of St. Louis. Eight to 10 homes near the small town of Perryville were badly damaged and winds were so strong that several vehicles were blown off of Interstate 55. Perry County Clerk Jared Kutz said search and rescue crews were going door-to-door and checking the highway to see if there were other victims.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said in a statement that a tornado was confirmed in Perry County. Authorities have not released any information about the person killed.