Southern Storms

Workers with ACS Roof Maintenance repair parts of a damaged roof on the Bowman Curve Shopping Center in Little Rock, Ark., March 9, 2006, after a severe thunderstorm hit the area. Storms moving across the South brought winds strong enough to rip off roofs and blow apart barns. Thousands of people lost power in Arkansas, and a lightning-sparked house fire killed a man.

Amanda Gobel looks over damage to her trailer house in Garland County near Hot Springs, Ark., March 9, 2006, after a large tree was blown onto it, smashing the kitchen, during a storm earlier in the day. Gobel and her husband, Robert Gobel, were home at the time but escaped injury. Gobel said her two children were at school.

Clark McCarley, with McCarley & Co. property managers, left, and Mike Nail, with East Harding Construction Co., remove debris from the Cantrell West Plaza building in Little Rock, Ark., after a severe thunderstorm damaged some of the property March 9, 2006.

Linda Powers and Goldie, her Chihuahua, walk near their storm-damaged home near Little Rock, Ark., March 9, 2006.

A Decatur, Ala., utilities lineman walks past vehicles pinned under a power pole that was felled by high winds March 9, 2006, in Decatur, Ala. A strong storm front passed through northern Alabama downing trees and power lines and creating power outages.

Karen Petter battles the wind to keep her umbrella as her daughter Olivia, 9, walks to her vehicle after riding on a tractor through high water at 4 Rivers Sport Horse Center near Paducah, Ky., March 9, 2006.

A car splashes water and mud while driving East on North Frontage Road by Interstate 20/59 during a heavy rain storm in Meridian, Miss., March 9, 2006. Wind gusts were reported as high as 85 mph during the storm in Mississippi.

Lockhard Elementary School principal Stanley Lott looks through one of several classrooms damaged by an apparent tornado that touched down in Indianola, Miss., March 9, 2006. Shattered glass and other debris blew into the classrooms at the school which had been evacuated. No one was reported injured.