By Mankato Free Press and Associated Press

ST. JAMES — Storm spotters reported tornado touchdowns near St. James and Lake Crystal Thursday afternoon.

A tornado that touched down near St. James did not cause damage. Watonwan County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado touched down at 4:35 p.m. near the southwest edge of town.

The storm system headed east toward the Madelia area. A tornado also touched down at 5:12 p.m. six miles west/southwest of Lake Crystal. A Blue Earth County trained spotter reported a tornado on the ground.

Several large trees and power poles were snapped off by strong wind gusts generated by a thunderstorm that moved across Waseca Thursday afternoon.

Authorities received multiple damage reports caused by the storm which moved from the south to the north across the city between 2:55 p.m. and 3:10 p.m.

Another tornado was reported around 8 p.m. near Gaylord, but the weather service say no damage or injuries are reported.

In southeastern Minnesota, a roof was blown off a house 8 miles southeast of Red Wing.

Heavy rain also was reported. Nicollet in south-central Minnesota received 2.2 inches of rain Thursday evening.

Some street flooding was reported in Burnsville south of Minneapolis.

National weather

Thunderstorms moved across the Great Plains, bringing strong winds and tornadoes and prompting a high-water rescue of five children.

Dallas police say emergency workers rescued five boys after they became trapped Thursday morning by rising waters. They were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Near Joshua, Texas, high winds destroyed a mobile home. Authorities said a mother and child were injured.

Winds reached up to 70 mph Thursday afternoon in parts of Dallas, toppling large trees, tearing holes in warehouse roofs and peeling away the front wall of a church. Dallas Area Rapid Transit suspended light rail service along its northern routes until the storm passed.

In South Dakota, the National Weather Service said quarter-size hail was reported.