Storms do little damage across area

Rain, gusty winds, hail and funnel clouds made a lot of noise in Southeast Missouri Monday evening but did little damage. In the Bootheel, however, damage was more severe.

According to a spokesman for the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department in Caruthersville, a tornado hit the southern part of the county. The spokesman said only that rescue workers were searching for missing people and trying to clean up the tornado's aftermath.

Officials in Cape Girardeau, Scott, Perry and Bollinger counties reported heavy rain and hail ranging in size from peas to tennis balls.

Beginning around 6 p.m., funnel clouds were sighted in the area, but no tornadoes were reported to have touched down. David Hitt of the Cape Girardeau County Emergency Preparedness Office said a tornado was sighted in the eastern part of Bollinger County. A spokesman for the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department said some funnel clouds were spotted but that they quickly passed over.

Officials mostly reported heavy rain. Hitt said that by 8 p.m., 0.6 inches of rain had fallen in Jackson, and other places had more.