Storms, hail lash area; 5 funnel clouds sighted

All eyes were on the sky much of Tuesday as a string of powerful thunderstorms ripped through the Cape Girardeau area, dumping hail and producing numerous funnel clouds and flash flooding.

The most threatening part of the storm brought a tornado warning for the Fruitland and Jackson area at about 2 p.m., lasting until 2:45 p.m. Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Rick Schmidt saw a funnel cloud during that period near Center Junction.

The funnel cloud he saw did not touch down.

"It had very definite shape to it, it had very definite rotation in the funnel cloud and it was increasing in size, heading toward the ground," Schmidt said. "Then it went back up."

The warning forced students at schools throughout the area to take cover. In Cape Girardeau, buses at Central High School were delayed until the warning passed, and at Jackson students were kept indoors until the weather was deemed safe by school administrators.

The Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operations Center in Jackson received several calls from residents reporting funnel clouds from Fruitland south to Route K.

EOC systems coordinator Mike Niemeier said all the people reporting funnel clouds said they remained in the air. Five were reported.

Melvin Horton was working at Sam's Club in Cape Girardeau when he said a funnel cloud appeared west of the building at about 2:30 p.m.

"It was a triangular-shaped cloud that looked like it was pointing downward," said Horton. "It was the same dark color as the other clouds that were there ... real dark blue or grayish-colored."

The cloud disappeared by the time managers made it outside the building to check, Horton said, so no emergency precautions were taken.

Police in Jackson saw funnel clouds right over the station, bringing back memories of the May 2003 tornado that heavily damaged the city. A funnel cloud also was spotted over Bent Creek Golf Course, which was in the path of the 2003 twister.

"We've been through this before," said Lt. Rodney Barnes. "We don't like it, but we've been through it. This wasn't nearly as bad as May 2003."

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., reported Tuesday night that no tornadoes touched down in Southeast Missouri, but one possibly did in Southern Illinois around Rend Lake.

No damage was reported with the possible twister, and the weather service said it wouldn't be known until morning whether a tornado had indeed hit.

Along with the funnel clouds came hail. Many businesses along Kingshighway and Broadway were suddenly hit just after noon.

"We had a little thunderclap before the rain came and then the hail," said Peggy Blattel, receptionist at the North Kingshighway Alliance Bank branch.

Blattel said the hail lasted only five minutes. "It was small, but it was really coming down."

During the five minutes the hail pelted the bank, Blattel said, the radio system went out. She said the bank's computers remained on, and the radio came back on after the hail stopped.

The hail returned around the time of the afternoon tornado warning, especially in the area around Fruitland and Jackson. The shoulders of Interstate 55 near the Fruitland exit were covered in several inches of hail, giving the appearance of a fresh winter storm.

The EOC said the hail reported ranged in size from a pea to an inch in diameter and accumulated as much as 2 or 3 inches deep in some areas.

By 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, when most of the storms had moved out of the area, the National Weather Service said the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport was reporting 0.48 inches of rain since midnight. The weather service said more rain fell in the Jackson area, with some reports of an inch of rainfall and sporadic quarter-size hail. As much as 2 inches could have fallen over a 24-hour period in some spots by Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The quick rains caused flash flooding in several areas, including the city park at Jackson, where Hubble Creek overflowed its banks. Muddy water covered much of the ground around the creek.

Large amounts of debris and mud were washed up on roadways in Jackson requiring cleanup Tuesday afternoon and today. Jackson police weren't aware of any downed trees or limbs Tuesday night.

Several streets in Jackson were flooded as well as roads in Cape Girardeau County. A flash flood warning was in effect until 5:45 p.m.

Despite all the rain and hail, no significant damage was reported in the area, probably due to lack of strong winds, the National Weather Service said.

Thundershowers are possible today, but no severe storms are expected. Rain should clear out by this evening.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

cpierce@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127