Storms, Floods Plague Midwest, South

Thunderstorms soaked the nation’s midsection Friday, causing flooding in Indiana in the wake of a swarm of tornadoes.

“Flooding along the Wabash River in southwest Indiana was described as being immense, with the river two miles wide in western Gibson County at Interstate 64,” the National Weather Service reported.

In Arkansas, the Ouachita River crested at Camden, at less than 10 feet over the flood stage of 26 feet. A spokesman in the Ouachita County sheriff’s office said areas reported flooding but there were no mass evacuations.

Hail was reported near Auburn, Neb., and flash flood watches were posted in parts of Iowa.

In Texas, the bloated Trinity River continued to roll toward the Gulf of Mexico. More than 3,000 homes in Liberty County alone were inundated, leaving about 7,000 people homeless, officials said. The Red Cross said 4,600 homes were flooded in the four counties hardest hit.

The weather service reported that 18 twisters had ripped the northern Plains and Mississippi Valley states late Thursday. Officials said nine tornadoes were spotted in central Kansas, six in Wyoming, two in Montana and one in South Dakota.