Missouri Storm Leaves Two Dead

Powerful thunderstorms killed two people Monday and damaged at least 25 homes in southwest Missouri, while a motel and several homes had to be evacuated during downpours in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

In Fordland, Mo., a 45-year-old man was found dead beneath the debris of his shattered mobile home. A worker repairing downed power lines was killed near Neosho when the raised bucket he was working in hit a utility pole.

About two dozen people were left homeless in nearby Rogersville, where authorities estimated damage would top $1 million.

The storms, which brought at least 2 inches of rain and winds as strong as 70 mph, were part of a huge system that has swept across the Middle West since Friday, killing at least 25 people.

Up to 5 inches of rain fell in western South Dakota, authorities said. No injuries or deaths were reported there.