A sudden severe thunderstorm featuring golfball-sized hailrained down on eastern Lincoln County Tuesday, causing some minordamage and disrupting travel and power supplies.

“We had a lot of pea-, marble- and quarter-sized hail east ofI-55,” said Lincoln County Civil Defense Director Clifford Galey.”There was some golfball-sized hail confined to an area mainlysouth of (Highway) 84.”

There have been reports of some minor vehicle and structuraldamage associated with the hail, he said, but most of the damagewas generated by a burst of high winds that ripped through thearea.

The wind tore down trees and power lines and reportedlyoverturned two or three carports, Galey said.

“There were a few vehicles hit or trapped by falling trees,” hesaid. “There were quite a few trees down, but only a couple of themwere large trees.”

Civil defense and firefighter volunteers and county work crewshad blocked roads reopened by about 9 p.m., Galey said, andMagnolia Electric Power Association had electricity restored withina few hours after a storm.

A severe thunderstorm weather advisory from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.was issued just moments before the storm, he said.

“We weren’t expecting this,” Galey said. “It was supposed to bea mild summer storm.”

In other weather-related news, the civil defense director said aheat advisory for the local area has been lifted, but Galey urgedcaution when working outdoors today.

“The heat advisory has been canceled, but it will still be overa 100 degrees out there today,” he said.