A portion of the roof then struck a large propane tank, ripping off a valve and causing a gas leak. An elementary school also was damaged. Power outages were widespread. A few dozen residents were evacuated to local churches, Craig said. Fire departments and rescue crews throughout the region responded to the emergency.
Government officials plan to assess damages through the day.
Trish Davidson said her mobile home was lifted from its foundation and that its roof was blown off. Davidson, her husband and four of their children had just returned from a holiday fishing outing and were cleaning up. We saw everything ease off for a little bit and then it started up again. We saw the clouds starting to swirl. When the winds died down and the hail stopped, the family tried to leave the area.