Montana highway patrol says tornado hits Billings

BILLINGS, Mont. – A tornado that touched down in Billings, Mont., caused heavy damage to parts of an expo center Sunday evening, a Montana highway patrol dispatcher said.

The Expo Center at Metra Park suffered damage when the tornado hit in a neighborhood called The Heights, dispatcher Jordan White said.

A good chunk of the center's 10,000-seat Rimrock Auto Arena was torn off when the tornado hit as a big storm system with golf ball-sized hail passed through the city. Debris was seen strewn for hundreds of yards in the surrounding area.

The arena is the multi-facility event center's main venue. The center is used to host rodeos, monster truck shows, concerts and high school sporting events.