Storm Spawns Tornadoes in Four States

A powerful storm moving across the central United States spawned tornadoes in Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama on Saturday, and forecasters predicted near-blizzard conditions for the upper Midwest.

A tornado destroyed at least four houses and damaged 38 others at Ruleville, Miss., but no serious injuries were reported, officials said. The twister also caused extensive damage to the high school, the junior high and a service station in the town of about 3,500.

Mayor Harvey Springer said several looters were seen at the high school, which had extensive damage to classrooms and the gymnasium.

Jimmy Smith, the principal of Ruleville Central High School, set what he called a “conservative” damage estimate of $1 million to the school. The building was filled with about an inch of water.

Sharron Gary, 25, said she jumped into a closet after she saw the family car rolling down the street. The roof of the Garys’ house was blown off and the living room was destroyed.

Red Cross volunteers were called in, and 120 inmates from the state penitentiary in Parchman, about 15 miles away, were sent to help clean up the town. The Ruleville Community Center was set up as a shelter for victims. The mayor said he would ask that the town be declared a disaster area.

Forecasters said they spotted tornadoes on weather radar Saturday morning near Elm Grove, La., and Rusk, Tex. No damage or injuries were reported.

In northwestern Alabama, the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency said a twister took a roof off the porch of a residence near Vina and uprooted some trees in the area. No injuries were reported.

Strong thunderstorm winds damaged a church and a store at Carthage, Tex., the National Weather Service reported. Large-size hail fell near Fruitvale and Mexia, Tex.

In Fruitvale, crews labored to clear the wreckage of a freight train derailment caused by high winds or a tornado, while 200 people remained evacuated from their homes because of toxic fumes released in the accident, officials said.

The derailment of 45 train cars Friday night halted rail traffic on the Union Pacific’s main line through East Texas and prompted police to detour highway traffic around the site near the intersection of U.S. 80 and Texas 19, about 60 miles east of Dallas.

Fumes of toxic anhydrous ammonia that leaked from a ruptured tank car forced the evacuation, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported. In addition, two passing motorists were treated for ammonia burns caused by the fumes.

Forecasters at the weather service warned that the storm would produce severe weather from Texas and the central Gulf Coast states to lower Michigan. The storm dumped 15 inches of new snow on Utah’s mountains, and forecasters predicted that high winds would create near-blizzard conditions in the upper Midwest.

By Saturday, the storm was moving across the middle Mississippi Valley, where rain prevailed. But snow fell across parts of the upper Midwest, forecasters said.

A winter storm warning was in effect for much of Minnesota, with up to 10 inches of snow likely by today. Forecasters said strong northerly winds could create blizzard conditions in the area.