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Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes unleashed their fury on several states in the South and Midwest on Wednesday, causing significant destruction that included downed power lines, uprooted trees, damaged roofs, and debris launched high into the atmosphere as a wave of extreme weather swept through the region.
The National Weather Service declared a tornado emergency in Lake City, Arkansas, signifying the presence of a damaging tornado in a populated area. By Wednesday evening, the service had registered at least 11 tornado incidents, primarily in Missouri and Arkansas.
Areas at risk included eastern Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, southeast Missouri, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee, all under a tornado watch that extends until midnight CT. “It’s certainly expected to be a challenging morning for those impacted areas, especially in Arkansas,” commented Chelly Amin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Footage shared on social media by Lake City resident Matthew Fraser depicted a tornado sweeping across the landscape, illuminated by flashes of lightning that bathed the storm in hues of pink and purple.
In Monette, Arkansas, multiple residences were affected, prompting emergency responders to assist two individuals who were trapped. Reports also indicated one injury linked to a semi-truck rollover.
Craighead County, Arkansas, reported four injuries but no fatalities as of Wednesday evening, with 22 counties indicating storm-related damage, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management.
In Indiana’s Hendricks County, numerous utility poles and trees were reported downed by the storms. While no deaths were noted, injuries did occur, and at least one warehouse experienced a partial collapse, leading fire department crews to search for possible injuries.
In Missouri, particularly in Pilot Grove, a number of buildings sustained damage, with cars flipped and power poles broken. Authorities indicated that some roads were closed due to debris and downed lines near Potosi, a town southwest of St. Louis.
In the early morning hours, a tornado struck Owasso, Oklahoma, around 6:40 a.m., damaging roofs and downing trees and power lines. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries.
With storms expected to persist into the night, forecasters warned of the potential for several EF3 or stronger tornadoes developing by Thursday. While Thursday’s severe threat was downgraded from the highest level to a more moderate level, strong tornadoes remain a possibility from Texarkana through Little Rock to Memphis. The severe weather risk is projected to remain in the vicinity through the weekend with slight shifts in position.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is particularly at risk, having been under a 3 out of 5 severe weather alert for four consecutive days, a rare occurrence. In tandem with the storm threat, forecasts indicate the potential for torrential rain over the next several days, raising concerns of historic flooding in parts of the South and Midwest. Meteorologists have noted that such extended periods of severe weather can occur once in a generation or even less frequently.
The National Weather Service issued warnings about the potential for rainfall exceeding a foot in some areas, highlighting the unusual nature of this weather system. These flooding concerns emerge as some regions in Michigan are still recovering from a recent ice storm.
High winds, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph, were reported across much of the Midwest. In Indiana, a powerful gust knocked over five semi-trucks on Interstate 65 near Lowell, thankfully without injuries.
This alarming forecast coincides almost two years after an EF-3 tornado devastated Little Rock. While that storm did not result in fatalities, it caused extensive damage to the area’s neighborhoods and businesses, which are still in the process of recovery.
As the situation unfolds, over 90 million individuals are at risk of severe weather across a vast expanse from Texas through to Minnesota and Maine, as outlined by the Storm Prediction Center based in Oklahoma.
David Parkinson contributed reporting.
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