Southwest US faces destructive tornadoes, hail with severe storms
Severe storms tear through the Southwest U.S. with tornadoes, hail and damaging winds as the NWS warns of a very active spring pattern.
Hail as large as softballs struck in Missouri, damaging local patrol cars and roofs and killing an animal at the zoo, authorities said.
The hail rained down on April 28 as an intense storm rolled through parts of Springfield, Missouri, and Greene County. Justin Titus with the National Weather Service office in Springfield said meteorologists measured 4-inch hail after the first wave of the storm in the early afternoon.
The Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield had “significant” hail damage, it said in a post to social media. A 21-year-old female emu was killed and a male rhea (a large, flightless South American bird) was being treated by a vet. No staff or visitors were injured and the rest of the animals are safe, the zoo said. The zoo will be closed on April 29.
Storms have battered the central U.S. with downpours, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes for several days. On April 28, they were concentrated in the area of northeastern Texas through Arkansas and into northern Mississippi, forecasters said.
Tornadoes were reported in Texas an Arkansas, while hail was reported in several states ranging from the size of a quarter to a baseball or softball, according to the Storm Prediction Center. One reported instance of hail in Greene County measured at 4.75 inches.
Cars across the region suffered significant damage, the Springfield News-Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. The Missouri State Highway Patrol posted photos to social media of the damage to its patrol vehicles for Troop D, which includes Greene County. One photo showed a windshield totally smashed.
After the storm had moved through Greene County, the City Utilities outage map indicated more than 10,100 customers without power in the afternoon. Within about two hours, the number of outages was down to about 4,200.
The utility also posted on social media that it had received reports of hail damage to gas meters. The utility advised that anyone smelling gas should move away from the area right away and call 911.
Nicolette Zangara, public information officer for Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management, said the county saw reports of “a mixed bag” of hail from pea-sized to baseball-sized. She noted destruction in the northern and western parts of Springfield and Greene County included shattered windshields and damage to roofs and siding.
Springfield-Branson National Airport said passengers who parked cars at the airport should expect to see hail damage.
