Storms Damage Mid-MO Communities

***UPDATE 8:40 P.M.***Residents in Bland who use the post office have been told they can collect their mail at either the Owensville or Belle post offices.The National Weather Service in St. Louis says they will make a determination on Thursday whether or not to survey the damage.***ORIGINAL STORY***Wednesday afternoon’s severe storms caused damage to buildings in parts of Gasconade and Osage counties.The Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department says a storm around 4 p.m. ripped the roof off of the Bland, Mo. post office. Damaging winds also destroyed many of the exterior walls. The Sheriff’s Department says the building is destroyed.A woman was reportedly briefly trapped inside the building, but was uninjured.Post office workers are attempting to collect mail from the building, but say that they are worried about the building’s structure.A total of 12 buildings, including several houses and the fire department, also suffered minor to moderate damage. Numerous large tree limbs and power lines were blown down during the storm as well.