Surveys tracking twisters

LITTLE ROCK — Storm survey teams from the National Weather Service in North Little Rock inspected paths of three tornadoes that hit the state Wednesday evening and plan to tour a fourth area next week, meteorologists said Friday.

The twisters, produced when a cold front met warm, unstable air over southwest Arkansas on Wednesday, knocked down trees, damaged homes and killed one person.

J. Ward Baldridge, 79, died in Pearson, a small community in southwest Cleburne County, from injuries he received when his house on Sawmill Road was demolished by a tornado.

Three others - including Baldridge’s wife and grandson - were injured, said Renee Preslar, a spokesman with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

Iva Jean Baldridge and Blake Baldridge remained in critical condition at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Cleburne County Sheriff Marty Moss said.

Meanwhile, the Salvation Army Central Arkansas Area Command said in a newsrelease Friday that it provided food and drinks for storm victims and cleanup workers in Saline and White counties.

“We stand ready to serve, and we notified those affected by the storm that they can continue to call on our local offices for additional support as they recover,” area commander Major Harvey Johnson said.

The weather service said Friday that the three tornadoes they’ve tracked so far traveled short paths in mainly rural areas.

The tornadoes tracked were:

Cleburne County. A twister, designated 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with wind speeds up to 135 mph cut a 3.4-mile path through Pearson, said weather service meteorologist Brian Smith.

The tornado touched down three miles southwestof Pearson and ended about a half-mile northeast of Pearson. A house and mobile home were damaged, and an outbuilding was destroyed, he said.

The survey team found a clothes dryer blown 750 feet from the Baldridges’ home, Smith said. Debris from the storm was also found near Greers Ferry, about two miles from the twister’s path.

Saline County. An EF1 tornado with wind speeds up to 110 mph formed four miles west of Benton and ended about a tenth of a mile west of Congo.

The path was 6.1 miles, Smith said, and 24 homes were damaged, including two that were destroyed.

The Salem Volunteer Fire Department No. 4 received moderate damage.

Hempstead County. A small EF0 tornado packing winds of 70 mph followed a 2.4-mile trek through a wooded area near McCaskill in the northern edge of the county. There were no reports of damage to homes or buildings, but trees were downed, Smith said.

White County. At least 19 homes were reported damaged near the Center Hill community. The Center Hill Fire Department and Center Hill Baptist Church also were damaged.

National Weather Service warning coordinator John Robinson said he will inspect the damage Monday to determine the White County tornado’s path and strength.

Because the tornadoes occurred in rural areas, damage estimates probably won’t be high enough for counties to be eligible for state or federal disaster assistance, Preslar said.