A tornado apparently hit the Atlanta and Linden areas, causing downed trees, road closures and several power outages.
A flash flood warning has also been issued for the area and will be in effect until 6:45 p.m. The warning is issued for Cass and Bowie counties in Northeast Texas and Miller, Little River, Hempstead, Sevier, Lafayette and Nevada counties in Southwest Arkansas.
McLeod Independent School District will be closed Thursday. Also in Cass County, Atlanta, Queen City, Bloomburg and Linden school districts are waiting to a later time to announce if they will be closed.
According to Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative's website, nearly 160 customers are without power in the Linden area, 350 are out in the Douglasville area, and more than 250 around Lake Wright Patman.
SWEPCO's website shows nearly 70 customers are powerless in Queen City and Atlanta, Texas.
County Road 2340 off of Highway 77 is closed and all roads around Hughes Springs are closed, according to a Gazette staff member who took shelter as the storm hit the county.
Most county roads off of U.S. Highway 59 between Linden and Atlanta are flooded or washed out.
Numerous vehicles are in ditches in the Atlanta and Linden area.
A gas leak is also reported in County Road 1125.
Sheriff's office scanner traffic stated there was a tornado while at least 30 people took shelter in a portion of the Cass County Courthouse along a stairwell. The first warning came in about 1:45 p.m. with a series of warnings following.
A tornado warning had been issued for Miller County in Southwest Arkansas and Cass and Bowie counties in Northeast Texas. The warning was in effect until 2:30 p.m., and a tornado watch has been extended until 11 p.m.
A flash flood watch is in effect until 7 a.m. Thursday.