Storms leave state a soggy mess

Storms that soaked much of Arkansas early Friday left behind scattered damage and flooding but no reported deaths, authorities said.

In Little Rock, firefighters slogged through thigh-high water to carry small children one by one from a water-surrounded day care. In the Calhoun County city of Hampton, wind and rain damaged a high school gymnasium and a finearts building and deposited debris on the football field. Not far northeast of there, in Rison in Cleveland County, high winds blew the roofs off several chicken houses.

Weather officials worked throughout the state to assess damage and confirm scattered reports of potential tornado touchdowns. However, early reports indicated that the damage was from straight-line winds rather than tornadoes, authorities said.

Northwest Arkansas ...