DAMAGING 60-MPH WINDS LASH AREA

JACKSON -- High winds, gusting up to 60 miles per hour, ripped through Jackson Friday night causing damage to many businesses and homes. No injuries were reported.

MidAmerica Weather Service at the Cape Girardeau Airport reported wind gusts of 60 miles an hour and .94 inches of rain during the storm late Friday night and early Saturday morning.

The same weather front spawned a tornado near Springfield that tore through neighborhoods and across a highway, killing two people and injuring at least 24 others. One man was killed when his house was lifted up and crashed on top of him, officials said Saturday.

While no tornadoes were reported locally, a Jackson Police Department spokesman said many reports of damage from high winds had been received.

The construction site at Lee-Rowan, the roof at the First Baptist Church, Dale's Daycare Center and a long fence in front of B&B Auto Salvage were all damaged. A car wash on Highway 61 East partially collapsed.

Many trees were downed in the storm and at least two trees landed on cars. Power lines, antennas, and chimneys and even a patio were damaged.

The spokesman said in addition many shingles were blown off roofs throughout the city.

"As far as any costs of the damage, we don't have any estimates," he said.

The damage was not as severe in Cape Girardeau. Cape Girardeau Police reported several trees and tree limbs downed by the wind. Several windows were also broken during the storm.

Some power lines were also knocked down, and many business burglar alarms were sounded because of the lightning and flickering electrical power.

A.D. Cox with Union Electric said he had received no reports of any major power outages caused by the storm.

Some isolated outages did occur.

Chaffee Police Department reported some storm damage also. The roof of the IGA store was damaged.

The tornado in Springfield damaged more than 100 homes and destroyed 20. Damage was estimated at more than $5 million.

The twister, with winds clocked around 80 mph, struck Christian County near the town of Nixa Friday evening, then swept 15 miles north across U.S. 65 and through southeast Springfield.

The fierce winds blew cars off the road and flipped a pickup truck and its trailer, killing a man inside. Another man was crushed when the twister picked up his house and slammed it down on top of him.

"The house ... had been totally collapsed, with the upper level appearing to be inward," said State Fire Marshal's Investigator Bill Farr. "The outside walls were on the inside, and the inside walls to the outside."

The National Weather Service said that in Nixa, 11 buildings were destroyed and four people were hurt, two seriously.

At least 24 people were treated at area hospitals for storm-related injuries, hospital spokesmen said.

About 200 rescue workers searched door-to-door for victims, the state Highway Patrol said.