Tornadoes sweep Plains

Photo: The Canadian Press

Tornado damage in Elk City, Okla.

Tornadoes touched down in three Plains states on Thursday during nasty spring storms featuring ominous cloud formations but there were no reports of major damage, serious injuries or deaths.

The National Weather Service logged nearly 20 reports of tornadoes from the states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and numerous reports of high winds and hail.

Meteorologist Vanessa Pearce in Wichita says tornadoes were reported in Barton, Barber and Ford counties Thursday afternoon. Heavy rains and hail were reported across much of the region, with flash flooding reported in Great Bend, Kansas. No serious damage or injuries were reported.

The system also spawned several tornadoes Thursday in Oklahoma and Texas. Meteorologist Michael Scotten in Norman, Oklahoma, says four tornadoes were reported in western Oklahoma and two in northwest Texas. The twisters struck near the towns of Duke and Corn in Oklahoma and Crowell, Texas, Thursday afternoon.

It was the second day of storms in the Plains states and "intense" tornadoes were forecast for the Southern Plains through Friday.