Spring Rainstorms Lash Midwest, Bring Floods; Heat Racks Tennessee

Spring thunderstorms bowled across the Midwest Thursday, unleashing heavy rains that swept a car from a highway in Missouri and sent creeks surging over their banks in three other states.

The National Weather Service said 4.5 inches of rain soaked Warrensburg in western Missouri during a two-hour period, sending more than a foot of water rushing through the streets downtown.

A car was swept from a highway in the nearby Johnson County town of Holden, but the driver was not hurt, authorities said. Flooding was reported throughout low-lying areas in Johnson County and in Benton and Hickory counties in central Missouri.

There was also flooding along the Nishnabotna River near Hamburg, Iowa, the Blue River at Blue Rapids, Kan., and the lower Roanoke River near Williamston. N.C., the weather service said.

A tornado touched down near Murphysboro, Ill., but there were no reports of injuries or damage.

Showers and thunderstorms stretched across much of the nation’s midsection. Rain also fell over Nevada and Montana in the West and New Jersey in the East.

Hot, humid weather invaded Tennessee, and volunteers in Memphis collected fans to cool the elderly.

With temperatures rising into the 90s, the heat index--a combination of heat and humidity--hit 103 degrees Wednesday and soared toward 105 Thursday. The National Weather Service predicted there would be no relief through Monday.

“We’re definitely in that range where it gets dangerous, especially to the elderly and very young,” forecaster Joe Rogash said.