Tornado emergency: Devastation in Arkansas as storms persist
Tornadoes and intense rainfall struck the central and southern states of the U.S., causing damage and power outages. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Arkansas.
Tornadoes swept through the central and southern states of the U.S. on April 2nd, destroying homes and businesses and causing power outages.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), at least 15 tornadoes were reported in four states. In Kentucky and Arkansas, eight people were injured, including one seriously in Ballard County, Kentucky.
The Arkansas Governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, declared a state of emergency due to the storms that brought hail and heavy rainfall.
NWS warns that tornado and flash flood threats will persist into the early hours of April 3rd. Storms are expected to continue for several days, and April 2nd is just the beginning of the catastrophic weather event.
NWS meteorologist, Scott Kleebauer, described the situation as "chaotic," with storms stretching from southeastern Michigan to southeastern Arkansas. In Nevada, Missouri, a tornado caused significant damage to several businesses, knocking down power poles and empty rail cars.
As highlighted by straitstimes.com, NWS issued tornado and flash flood warnings for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.
In the coming days in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi, "generational floods" are forecasted, with rainfall reaching 381 millimetres, potentially causing catastrophic river flooding.
According to PowerOutage.us, over 400,000 customers were left without power in the storm-affected area.
