Severe storm cuts power to tens of thousands in Arkansas

A tree blocks the road on Riverfront Drive in North Little Rock by Dickey Stephens Park after strong storms moved through the state Thursday, July 14, 2016.
A tree blocks the road on Riverfront Drive in North Little Rock by Dickey Stephens Park after strong storms moved through the state Thursday, July 14, 2016.

A severe storm rolled across Arkansas on Thursday evening, toppling trees and cutting power to more than 137,000 electric customers.

An upper-level system moved from northeastern Oklahoma to southeast Arkansas, interacting with the remnants of a frontal boundary, said Brian Smith, a senior forecaster for the National Weather Service.

The weather service declared a tornado warning from 5:38 p.m. to 6 p.m. for central Pulaski County and northeast Saline County after radar showed rotating clouds, Smith said. A funnel cloud was spotted in Saline County, but there was no confirmation that it touched down, he said.

[GALLERY: Click here for photos of storm damage in Little Rock and North Little Rock]

"Today was not the ideal environment for a tornado" because there wasn't enough wind shear, he said, but the storm's interacting with the surface boundary generated some low-level rotation. About 1.35 inches of rain was measured in North Little Rock.

Entergy spokesman Sally Graham said the power company is calling in crews from surrounding states, but some customers in the hardest hit areas -- Pulaski, Jefferson and Garland counties -- will be without power until at least Saturday. The pace of repairs will depend on how much help other companies send, she said, as well as the extent of the damage, which was still unclear in some places Thursday evening.

North Little Rock Electric reported that 3,907 customers were without power at 10 p.m. Entergy was reporting more than 40,000 customers in Pulaski County without power as of 10:46 p.m.

[FRIDAY UPDATE: Entergy outages down to 87,000 as restoration work continues]

In Little Rock, Andrew and Melissa Ivey were in their basement with their kids, aged 13 and 16, when the power went out at their Hillcrest home Thursday evening.

They had gathered in the basement after hearing multiple tornado warnings, and when they went outside after losing power, Andrew Ivey said there were heavy winds and pouring rain.

As of Thursday evening, there was a power line support cable in the street, and Andrew Ivey said Entergy personnel had not yet arrived.

"I hope they come out soon, but I don't know what's happening across the city," he said.

To pass the time, the family played board games -- Apples to Apples and Scattergories -- and used a battery-powered camping lantern and candles for light.

"Got to have something to keep busy," he said.

Winds at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field gusted to 68 miles per hour at 6:13 p.m., and at 6:17 p.m. the Federal Aviation Administration evacuated the control tower. Flights were suspended for about half an hour, resuming about 6:45 p.m., airport spokesman Shane Carter said.

Firefighters rescued people stuck in elevators at the Holiday Inn on Bankhead Drive, the Buffington Towers on East Seventh Street and at an office building 100 Morgan Keegan Drive, said Capt. Jacob Lear-Sadowsky, a spokesman for the Little Rock Fire Department.

On North Arthur Street in Little Rock, Emily Pennel was about to go to sleep when she saw an orange glow through her window and called 911 to report that the house next door was on fire.

Little Rock firefighters arrived, and Capt. Kenny Brown said it appeared to be an electrical fire, but he said an official investigation would have to determine the cause of the fire.

The wind toppled trees in southwest Little Rock. A tree fell onto power lines outside a house on Community Road that caught fire, Lear-Sadowsky said.

Fire also damaged three units at the condominiums at 2112 Hinson Road in west Little Rock. The roof burned off one unit and had started on a second unit when firefighters got the blaze under control.

The fire marshal will make an official report on what caused the fires, Lear-Sadowsky said.

Two firefighters sprained ankles responding to the fires, but no other injuries were reported, Lear-Sadowsky said.

Two public works crews were clearing downed trees from 28 areas, city spokesman Jennifer Godwin said.

Crews closed Roosevelt Road and Marshall Street, around 1202 Briar Creek Road, and West 13th and College streets, Godwin said.

Metro on 07/15/2016

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