Storm causes damage in region

Members of the National Weather Service are expected to be in Southeast Missouri today after a squall line produced severe winds and damage across at least three region counties.

Buildings were impacted in Doniphan at about 8:15 a.m. in Ripley County, while a grain bin was taken down later in the Broseley area of Butler County. By approximately 9 a.m., a train had derailed in Dexter, and other damage was done in Stoddard County.

"We have reports of straight line wind damage. Right now, we aren't thinking it was a tornado," said National Weather Service meteorologist Derrick Snyder. "We are going to send survey crews to Southeast Missouri tomorrow. We're going to be heading over to the Dexter area first."

High winds contributed to a train derailment Thursday morning at the One Mile Road crossing, causing two train cars to strike the side of the Busy B Lumber building, piercing the wall.

The business was safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Dexter fire chief Don Seymore said 13 train cars derailed and two contained hazardous material, however, they were not leaking and there was no danger. He estimated the One Mile Road crossing would not be open until early this morning.

The storm also knocked out power for about 2,000 customers in the area that included Dexter and Sikeston, said Brad Brown with Ameren Missouri. That number was reduced to about 400 before sunset. He said storm-hardening poles installed south of Dexter last summer helped avert a larger power outage.

A grain bin was damaged mid-morning in the area of highways AA and 51, said Butler County Emergency Management Agency director Robbie Myers. Power lines were also taken down near the area.

Other than minor tree damage, this was the only damage reported in the Butler County area.

Prior to the Butler County damage, strong winds struck a home and business in Doniphan around 8:15 a.m., said Ripley County Emergency Management Agency director Brian Byrd.

Byrd estimates the path of damage stretched about one mile in Ripley County. Most of that was on Highway 142 East, about one-half mile from Doniphan.

Boats were flipped over at Current River Marine Sales on Route 3, and the glass was blown out of a wide glass door, he said. A carport between two buildings there was also flipped over, he said.

A tree limb was blown through a roof next door to the business.

About three-fourths of a mile away a portion of a roof was blown off of a house.

Additional trees were down and other minor damage occurred, he said.

Byrd estimated winds topped at least 60 mph, and says readings at the Doniphan fire department were at 46 mph. He believes the incident was limited to strong winds.

Doniphan also has minor flooding, including at the Current River Heritage Museum on Washington Street, he said.

Highway 142 east of Neelyville was closed due to flooding, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The Black River at Poplar Bluff rose 3.4 feet from midnight to 4 p.m. Thursday to 9.09 feet and was expected to crest at 15 feet this afternoon, a foot below flood stage, by the National Weather Service.

Poplar Bluff picked up 1.08 inches of precipitation Thursday after 2.20 inches Wednesday at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport. The temperature also dropped 23 degrees in five hours after the storm pushed through the area.

North in Wayne County, flash flooding caused water over the road in spots on Highway 34 between Piedmont and Patterson. Route C in eastern Wayne County was closed at Bear Creek, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

"You just have to be careful," said Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch.