Heavy Rains and High Winds Batter Midwest, Northeast

Severe thunderstorms unleashing high winds swept across much of the Midwest and parts of the Northeast on Saturday, triggering mudslides and flooding in Vermont and blowing the front off a Nebraska drugstore.

Flooding destroyed one house, two bridges and damaged several highways in Plainsfield, Vt., while heavy rains pushed the Winooski and Dog River in Montpelier, Vt., out of its banks and caused several mudslides on Route 125, between Hancock and Middlebury, the National Weather Service said. No injuries were reported.

Flooding in Berlin, Vt., destroyed a bridge and put several highways under water, and the East Barre Dam and other streams continued to rise.

Three tornadoes touched down in Illinois at Lemont, Orland Park and west of Joliet, but there were no reports of injuries. Some roads in northern Illinois were flooded by heavy rain, the weather service said.

Front Blown Off Store

Wind gusts reached 82 m.p.h. in Norfolk, Neb.

Strong winds caused damage in Burt and Washington counties in east Nebraska, blowing the front off a drugstore in Tekamah.

Up to 18 northeast Nebraska communities, with 5,000 to 6,000 residents, had power outages.

In Jefferson, Iowa, officials called in heavy equipment contractors to help clear damage caused by 80-m.p.h. winds. Dennis Moreland, Greene County civil defense director, said up to 500 homes in Jefferson alone were without power, and damage was reported throughout the county.

Winds of 60 m.p.h. with hail and heavy rain caused crop damage near Little Sioux, Iowa, and damage to barns and trees.