Suspected tornado leaves path of destruction in Goodman, Missouri

GOODMAN, Mo. -- Authorities in southwest Missouri believe a tornado is responsible for severe damage to several buildings, including a fire station and elementary school.

The small town of Goodman -- the site of a deadly EF-5 tornado in May 2011 -- was hit hard by a severe storm Tuesday evening. Images showed that an exterior wall of the Goodman Elementary School collapsed. In one classroom that was exposed, the bookshelves looked untouched, CBS Springfield affiliate KOLR reports.  

McDonald County Emergency Management director Gregg Sweeten says it appears a tornado was responsible for damage to the town’s elementary school and fire station. He said several homes and businesses in Goodman were damaged. KOLR reports that about 1,200 people in the town didn’t have electricity on Wednesday morning. 

Meteorologist Wes Peery posted a video on Facebook that he said showed the tornado barreling through Goodman.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported. Minor damage was also reported at the airport in Neosho, another southwest Missouri town.   

Meanwhile, severe weather rumbled through other states on Wednesday. Hail the size of tennis balls pelted parts of Alabama ahead of what forecasters say will be waves of severe weather across the Deep South. 

Forecasters say some of the largest hail hit early in the day in the east Alabama city of Oxford, where convenience store manager Don Copeland says ice was so thick on the ground it looked like it had snowed. Copeland says he’s still working up courage to go outside and look at his pickup truck, which he fears was damaged by ice balls right after he made a $550 payment on it. 

People posted pictures of hail that hit the area on social media. And there’s likely more bad weather to come. The National Weather Service says there will be thunderstorms, hail, high winds and possibly tornadoes on Wednesday, CBS Mobile affiliate WKRG reports. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency.  

Tornado threats extend beyond Alabama. A tornado watch has also been issued for parts of Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, the National Weather Service says.

In:
• Missouri
• Severe Weather
• Tornado Warning
• Tornado