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LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 26 (UPI) -- Storms featuring tornadoes, hail and high winds tore through the lower Mississippi Valley late Tuesday, forecasters and local officials said. Storm spotters and private citizens reported tornado touchdowns from Texas to Kentucky, CNN reported. Matt Bishop of the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth, Texas, said his office had received reports of damage, but no injuries, in northeastern Texas.
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Tornado warnings were posted around Shreveport, La., and forecasters said they were tracking possible tornado activity near Fort Smith, Ark., CNN said.
Tornado watches were posted for northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Arkansas, southeastern Illinois, western Kentucky, southeast Missouri, northwest Mississippi, western Tennessee, eastern Illinois, much of Indiana, northwestern Ohio and much of Michigan until 10 p.m.
Kaufman, Texas, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Pat Laney told CNN the area was struck Tuesday by two rounds of storms.
"It's a little bit of everything around us," she said, adding there were reports of damage but no injuries.
There were reports of hail and downed tree limbs in Little Rock, Ark., and National Weather Service forecaster Brian Smith said there was a report that high winds had lifted a tractor-trailer in Coy, along U.S. Route 165.
Tornado warnings were posted along the Arkansas-Tennessee border and throughout the Memphis area, the National Weather Service said.
High water threatened parts of the U.S. midsection as other areas struggled with the aftermath of devastating storms. At least 10 people were killed Monday in Arkansas by storms that spawned tornadoes, gutted houses and brought down power lines, police said. Forecasters predicted more tornadoes Tuesday along the Gulf Coast.
Tributary rivers in the Mississippi system were also rising.
A levee along the Black River in Missouri failed Tuesday morning, flooding a rural area outside Poplar Bluff, CNN reported. Authorities warned residents to evacuate as quickly as possible.
Poplar Bluff Deputy Police Chief Jeff Rolland said Tuesday's breaches in the levee did not threaten the town. About 1,000 people in Poplar Bluff were evacuated Monday night because the levee appeared likely to fail.
In Louisville, Ky., the Ohio River was at 30 feet and rising. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for parts of Kentucky and Indiana.
In Kentucky, the National Weather Service said the Ohio River is expected to crest at more than 33 feet by Thursday, but that could change based on rainfall totals through Wednesday, The (Louisville) Courier Journal reported Tuesday.
Henry County, Ky., officials evacuated the Sulphur area Monday because of fears the Lake Jericho Park dam may fail because of high water.
Concerning the forecast for Arkansas and Texas, "Tuesday and Wednesday will be particularly bad," AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.
Cities that could see tornado activity Tuesday included Tyler, Texas; Little Rock, Ark.; Shreveport, La.; Tupelo, Miss.; Memphis and Nashville.
The tornado danger will shift east, extending from the eastern Tennessee Valley to the central Gulf Coast into Wednesday evening, AccuWeather.com said. Cities at risk include Meridian, Miss.; Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala.; and Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn.
In Olathe, Kan., officials blamed a lightning strike for causing a fire that forced the evacuation of about 50 homes Monday night, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe declared a state of emergency Monday night "in response to the severe storms and flooding that have impacted Arkansas and are expected to continue in the coming days," a statement posted on Beebe's Web site said. The declaration was retroactive to cover storms that began April 19.
Fayetteville, Ark., resident Steve Wilkes told CNN rain fell virtually non-stop for several days.
"I've lived here for more than 20 years. I've never seen anything like this in my life," Wilkes said. "I saw water 2 to 3 feet deep across roadways that have never flooded."
The National Weather Service in North Little Rock temporarily closed its operations Monday as severe weather moved near its location, KUAR-FM, Little Rock, reported. The weather service facility in Memphis issued warnings while the Little Rock facility was down.
