An 18-year-old woman was killed and an 18-month-old toddler was taken to a hospital in Pope County after the two sisters became trapped when a tree fell on a house as severe storms moved across Arkansas early Wednesday.
The large tree became uprooted and fell on the house in the 3200 block of Arkansas 247 north of Atkins after a period of high winds and heavy rain shortly before 8 a.m., the Pope County sheriff's office said in a news release.
At an afternoon news conference, Sheriff Shane Jones said a family of 5 was inside the home.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the toddler was taken to St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. According to the sheriff's office, the woman's identity will be released after next of kin has been notified.
Only a few hundred yards down the road from the family's dirt driveway, dozens of trees were felled as the straight-line wind blew through a lot between two houses.
Across the road, the metal roof of a barn was almost completely ripped off, and an adjacent barn for herding cattle had several panels bent up and twisted in the wind.
Homeowners said they were happy to be safe.
Greg Hurtado said other than several downed trees on his property, a large patch of bare roof shingles and some minor water damage, his family and home made it through the storm intact.
In 2008, he said a tornado came through the field across the road that his house overlooks and destroyed a nearby church.
"This is the closest it got to us this time," Hurtado said. "We had gotten lucky on near misses several times in the past couple years."
Next door, Charlie Wells and his son Ben looked over a twisted pile of trunks and branches covering their driveway, looking for a place to start.
Three outside sheds were completely destroyed, Charlie Wells said, but his house was left intact.
"Just look at it. There's nothing to say," he said.
Check back with ArkansasOnline for updates on this developing story and read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
