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Texas, Louisiana brace for possible flooding and tornadoes

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DALLAS (AP) -- A storm system rumbling eastward through Texas toward the lower Mississippi Valley could pelt the region with large hail and cause flash-flooding and spawn tornadoes.

A Texas state trooper reported seeing a tornado touchdown early Sunday morning in near Center Point, Texas, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio, Texas. National Weather Service meteorologist Yvette Benavides with the Austin/San Antonio office said the trooper reported seeing the tornado touch down about 8 a.m., but there were no reports of major or structural damage related to the sighting.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center says the storms are likely to cause significant wind damage near the Interstate 20 corridor in east Texas and Louisiana throughout the day and into Sunday night. It says there is a risk of baseball-sized hail and tornadoes, including strong ones, in that area.

The weather service offices in Austin/San Antonio and Fort Worth had received reports of minor wind damage to trees, up to quarter-sized hail and minor flooding in south central Texas areas.

The storms will also pass through southern Arkansas and central and southern Mississippi.