16 tornadoes hit central United States

Saturday, June 4, 2005 Posted: 8:07 PM EDT (0007 GMT)
(CNN) -- Storms drenched parts of the nation's midsection Saturday, and twisters were reported in several states in the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year.

At least 16 tornadoes that brought rain, flooding and some hail, touched down in parts of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma.

A tornado was reported in central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said, and Ashland and Taylor counties in the north-central section of the state reported heavy storms with damaging winds.

Winds faster than 50 mph hit Chicago, and at least 19,000 residents were without power in the afternoon.

At least two tornadoes were reported straddling Missouri and Kansas near Interstate 29 about 5 p.m. They were reported in the vicinity of Holt County in northwest Missouri and Doniphan County in northeast Kansas. A tornado later was spotted to the west, in Brown County, Kansas.

Storms also moved across Oklahoma City, and at least one tornado was sighted in southern Oklahoma, in the vicinity of Stephens and Comanche counties.

Conditions were expected to worsen as the night wears on.

The National Weather Service warned that conditions in other areas also were right for strong twisters, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding.