LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--Powerful thunderstorms swept through parts of
the Midwest and South on Thursday, leading to the deaths of two
people in Arkansas as strong winds toppled trees, utility lines and
a freight train.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management says one man
died when a tree fell on a van, while another man was killed in
nearby Jonesboro when a tree fell onto his home. Their names
haven't been released.
Strong winds also blew over a freight train on a Union Pacific
line in northeast Arkansas, blocking U.S. Highway 49.
"Right now the issue is the cargo boxes that are causing the
problem, those that have spilled out across the highway," Arkansas
State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said.
He said winds also blew over about a half-dozen
tractor-trailers. No serious injuries or hazardous cargo were
involved in those incidents.
The storms also damaged numerous homes and businesses and caused
widespread power outages.
After moving through Arkansas, the weather system moved east
into Tennessee and Mississippi. It was expect to move into Alabama
and Georgia later Thursday night.
Further north, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado
touched down outside Sioux Falls, S.D. No injuries were reported
from that twister that resulted from a strong, isolated
thunderstorm that dumped about an inch of rain within 20
minutes.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press
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