Tornado mayhem: Arkansas declares emergency amid chaos
Tornadoes and intense rainfall struck the central and southern states of the USA, causing damage and power outages. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Arkansas.
Tornadoes swept through the central and southern states of the USA 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.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency due to the storms that brought hail and heavy rainfall.
The 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 marks just the beginning of this 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, the 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 15 inches, potentially causing catastrophic river flooding.
According to PowerOutage.us, over 400,000 customers were left without power in the storm-affected area.
