March 1 (UPI) — Severe storms featuring tornadoes killed at least three people across the U.S. Midwest, local authorities said.
Isolated storms produced an undetermined number of tornadoes, high winds and tennis ball-sized hail on Tuesday across Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. At least a dozen vehicles, including one trailer truck, were blown off Missouri highways; a LaSalle, Ill., electrical tower fell; an Ottawa, Ill., nursing home sustained significant damage after it was struck by a suspected tornado; and at least two homes were severely damaged in Crossville, Ill.
One person was found dead in a Crossville home, another was struck by a tree in Ottawa, and a third died after his vehicle was blown off Interstate 55 near Perryville, Mo., the Weather Channel reported.
There were multiple reports of uprooted trees and damage to structures across the area of the storms. On Wednesday morning, nearly 2,000 people were without power in the Ottawa area.
The National Weather Service had a tornado watch in place Tuesday until 10 p.m. By nightfall, the most severe weather had moved eastward, WQAD-TV, Moline, Ill. reported.
