Jackson pageant will be held inside in event of rain

Tonight's Jackson Homecomers queen pageant, scheduled to take place from 8:30 to 10 p.m., on the main stage at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse lawn, will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson in case of rain, said entertainment committee chairwoman Linda Penzel.

Penzel said that the municipal band, scheduled to take the stage at 7:15 p.m., immediately following the opening ceremonies, will not perform in the event of rain.

As for other events, like the opening ceremony at 7 p.m., Penzel said, "we'll watch and see what happens."

There's a 60 percent chance of rain this afternoon and a 50 percent chance tonight in Jackson, according to the National Weather Service.

Thunderstorms that rolled through the area early this morning dumped significant rain on the Cape Girardeau area, and more rain could be coming throughout the day and into the evening.

The National Weather Service reports thunderstorms are possible throughout the day today, with a slight risk that some could become severe, with strong winds and hail possible.

By 7:53 a.m., 0.37 inches of rain had been measured since midnight at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

More than 11,000 AmerenUE customers in and around St. Louis were without power after storms went through that area.

The storms began Monday night in northeast Missouri and hit the St. Louis area around midnight. Most of the outages are in the St. Louis area.

There are several reports of downed trees and other storm damage, but no reports of injuries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.