Storms slap state; Camden hit hard

Mike McAllister nails a tarp Friday on his tree-damaged home along Timber Trail in Camden with help from his son Jonathan McCallister, 15, (left) and grandson Peyton Griffen, 11.
Mike McAllister nails a tarp Friday on his tree-damaged home along Timber Trail in Camden with help from his son Jonathan McCallister, 15, (left) and grandson Peyton Griffen, 11.

CAMDEN - A spring storm system raked Arkansas late Thursday and early Friday, dumping large hail in the north, and producing damaging winds and heavy rain in the south that hammered Camden and knocked power out to more than 50,000 customers.

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Vernon Moody uses a burned curtain rod Friday to search the smoldering remains of a relative’s Dallas County home as he seeks family photos after a fire that killed two boys.

In all, about 30 structures in Camden were damaged, Mayor Chris Claybaker said.“There are probably around seven houses that will be a total loss.” Also, most businesses in the city were closed Friday because they lacked electrical service.

In Dallas County near Sparkman, two toddlers were killed in a fire that officials said was caused by candles that their family lit after their home lost electricity.

Coroner Tom Tidwell said brothers Trayshawn King, 2, and Jayshawn King, 3, died of smoke inhalation.

Dallas County Sheriff Donny Ford said one of his deputies was flagged down by the children’s mother and saw flames coming from the house before 1 a.m. Friday. Ford said the boys’ parents had tried to save them, but the fire was too intense.

“It’s just a tragic situation,” Ford said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family. It’s just awful.”

There were no other storm-related deaths or major injuries reported.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock traveled to south Arkansas early Friday to examine the storm path, but as of Friday afternoon, there were no reports that a tornado had touched down there or anywhere in the state.

“Based on radar data, we are thinking these were just powerful straight-line winds,” said Joe Goudsward, a meteorologist with the weather service in North Little Rock.

Two houses were heavily damaged in Murfreesboro, and a tree was toppled onto a car in Hot Springs, emergency management officials in those communities said. In Bradley County, a chicken house was destroyed, and roofs on several homes were damaged.

In north Arkansas, large hail fell Thursday night. In Marshall, the weather service reported that some hail as big as baseballs battered the Searcy County town. Tennis ball-size hail fell at Big Flat in Baxter County, and golf-ball size hail was reported in Calico Rock in Izard County and Glencoe in Fulton County.

But the most damage from the storms was reported in Camden in Ouachita County.

On Friday, bright-yellow bits of insulation littered the parking lot of Camden-Fairview High School after high winds ripped away portions of the building’s roof and sides. At the football stadium, parts of the press box and concession-stand walls were sliced off.

School was canceled there Friday, and officials said they weren’t sure if the damage could be repaired in time to hold classes Monday.

Johnny Embry, the maintenance and transportation director for the Camden-Fairview School District, said the school will inform parents over the weekend about when classes will resume.

“Right now we are cleaning things up, and I have crews working to repair the roof,” Embry said. “Areas affected include the gym and four classrooms. We have water damage in those areas, and we are working to get them in the dry.”

Embry said the district’s baseball field suffered major damage, with both dugouts destroyed and bleachers “strewn everywhere.”

The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department’s District 7 headquarters on U.S. 79 in Camden suffered heavy damage, as well. Crews there were busy hauling away fallen trees Friday morning, along with dozens of large pines that toppled nearby, many blocking roadways for a time.

Sally Long, 50, who lives near the Highway Department building, said she and her elderly aunt took cover in a bedroom closet when the storm hit. Her roof suffered major damage, and three large oak tree limbs lay scattered around her yard Friday.

“They are telling us it wasn’t a tornado, but if this wasn’t a tornado, I would hate to see what one could do,” Long said, pointing to her house. “I guess we were pretty lucky. At least I have insurance.”

Camden’s mayor, Claybaker, said “the one good thing is that we have neighbors and family members coming together to help each other. It just makes you proud to live in Arkansas, where you know we take care of each other.”

Camden Police Chief Boyd Woody said the city’s south side took the brunt of the storm.

Woody said members of the city’s Fire Department and the Arkansas National Guard began clearing debris about 1 a.m. Friday.

Claybaker said the National Guard and Arkansas State Police were called in to help patrol in the blacked-out city overnight. Entergy Arkansas officials said it could be several days before all service is restored.

Power failures were widespread in Ouachita County and in other areas of the state Friday, with more than 51,300 Entergy Arkansas customers without electricity at one point. Tree limbs snapped many power lines, and high winds toppled power poles.

As of Friday evening, more than 14,500 customers were still without electrical service across the state, Entergy’s website said.

Outside of Ouachita County, areas still without power were concentrated in Columbia, Dallas and Lafayette counties.

Entergy officials said they were moving some line crews from northern Arkansas to help repair damage in the south. Entergy workers included 450 linemen, 300 tree trimmers and 100 scouts, according to a news release.

As many as 250 more linemen were expected later Friday.

Verizon set up a mobile phone-charging station in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Camden for people affected by the storm. The station is to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, and will include multiple charging outlets, as well as emergency phones and wireless Internet access.

Also, the American Red Cross will be canvassing damaged neighborhoods offering food and counseling to storm victims, a spokesman said.

Because most stores in Camden lacked electricity and were closed, many residents traveled to surrounding communities to buy gasoline and food.

The Brookshire’s store in Camden opened late in the day Friday, using generators to power lights, meat coolers and freezers. The city’s Wal-Mart store - normally open24 hours a day - was closed all day.

In Bearden, about 25 miles north of Camden, business was brisk Friday at the Corner Store. Customers were primarily buying gasoline. At one point, 15 cars were lined up at the pumps, an employee there said.

Smackover and El Dorado gas stations also saw an influx of customers from the Camden area.

Ouachita County resident Regina King said she traveled to El Dorado to fill up her vehicle and multiple gas containers Friday afternoon, hoping to have enough to last until electricity is restored.

“This was a relatively minor storm, when you compare it to a large tornado,” King said.

“I can’t understand how all this can happen from just one small storm. It’s scary to think about really. We have become a third-world country overnight. You can’t get anything here right now.”

Front Section, Pages 1 on 04/05/2014

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