The destruction caused by a bevy of tornadoes Friday and early Saturday cast a wide net, impacting states across the South and Midwest. As of Sunday morning, the tornado outbreak has been responsible for at least 25 fatalities, according to NBC News.
Nearly 80 preliminary tornado reports were sent to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, with several of the tornadoes causing widespread damage. Here’s what the outbreak resulted in for the most affected states:
Five deaths were reported in Arkansas, including four confirmed in Wynne due to a tornado late Friday night, WJTV reported, citing Cross County Coroner Eli Long. Dozens of people sustained injuries in the city, which is located about 40 miles west of Memphis.
On Saturday, Wynne Mayor Jennifer Hobbs stated that search and rescue operations remained “our main priority,” along with clearing roadways and debris. Hobbs noted “agencies from all over Arkansas” have aided Wynne with equipment, operators, law enforcement and medical personnel.
“We would like to thank everyone who has reached out to offer assistance to the community, we are absolutely overwhelmed with the support from the communities across our state and the nation,” Hobbs said. “We would ask for continued thoughts and prayers for our citizens and the responding crews.”
The tornado also brought significant damage to Wynne High School, with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying on Twitter that the Arkansas Department of Education is working with local school officials to “make a plan” for current students. “Anything they need, my administration is here to provide,” Sanders said.
One additional fatality was reported after a high-end EF3 tornado in the Little Rock area, according to Chris May, a news anchor for KATV. Photos from the damage in Little Rock showed downed trees, flipped cars and a handful of damaged buildings.
One photo showed the gutted insides of a store, the roof torn from the structure and the insulation strewn across the remaining debris. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., said on Twitter Friday evening that at least 24 people were hospitalized due to the storm.
“It came so fast … I got up off my desk, grabbed my wallet, grabbed my phone and went downstairs,” Little Rock resident Jeff Turk told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell. “Two minutes later, I heard the train and I felt the ear suck and I threw myself under a door … there was just like a smoke bomb had gone off.” (READ MORE)
