Springdale (US), Mar 30 (AP) Severe storms and a possible tornado damaged buildings and downed power lines in northwest Arkansas early Wednesday as tornadoes and hurricane-force winds were forecast in much of the Deep South, a week after severe storms struck the New Orleans area.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from Wednesday morning's storms that hit in Springdale, about 145 miles northwest of Little Rock, and prompted tornado watches and warnings.

Also Read | Nintendo Shares Fell 6% After the Gaming Firm Delayed the Launch of a Much-awaited Game – Latest Tweet by Reuters.

Damage was extensive in Springdale, including to an elementary school gymnasium and a warehouse, KFSM-TV reported.

The Springdale School District, which is the largest in Arkansas, cancelled all classes Wednesday because of the storms.

Also Read | 'Imran Khan Has Lost Majority, Shahbaz Sharif Will Soon Become Pakistan PM', Says Bilawal Bhutto.

The possible tornado struck about 4 am and investigators were being sent to the Springdale area, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Joe Sellers in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

He said Wednesday morning it hadn't been confirmed as a tornado, but “we're pretty certain that's what occurred.”

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said all of Mississippi and parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee were at the greatest risk for severe weather Wednesday.

More than 8 million people live in the area at greatest risk, which includes the cities of Memphis, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Montgomery, Alabama.

The worst weather was expected in the afternoon Wednesday.

The storms come a week after a New Orleans tornado that struck during the overnight hours and killed a man.

A tornado watch was issued for most of Arkansas, northern Louisiana, southern Missouri, southeastern Oklahoma, and northeast Texas through early Wednesday afternoon.

Forecasters said tornadoes were likely, along with isolated wind gusts of 80 mph (130 kph) or higher. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)