Tornado spotted in Stoddard Co.

Southeast Missouri

NEAR ESSEX, Mo. -- A tornado was sighted Thursday afternoon about four miles southeast of Dexter near the Stoddard County town of Essex, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky.

The sighting occurred around 4:30 p.m. No damage was caused by the tornado, which was a small "ropelike" twister, NWS reported. The tornado touched down a few times for two to three minutes at a time in an unpopulated area. Hail as large as 1-inch in diameter was associated with the storm that caused the tornado, according to NWS.

The tornado dissipated as the storm moved east through southern Scott, New Madrid and Mississippi counties.