More than 8,700 people remained without power Friday afternoon, after strong storms in Arkansas that spawned up to a dozen tornadoes, injured at least nine people and killed several.
Video shot by Robert Wilson and submitted by Jasen Shamlin
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said the tornadoes included one in Oden that injured two people and destroyed a house, and one north of Amity that injured three and destroyed a trailer.
Other reports of possible tornadoes came from Lake Ouachita State Park in Garland County, Bonnerdale in Hot Spring County, Meyers in Garland County, Cove in Polk County, the Brady Mountain Recreation Area in Garland County, east of Wickes in Polk County and north-northwest of Paron in Saline County.
The weather service is expected to send crews to the affected areas beginning Friday to determine whether the damage was caused by tornadoes and, if so, what size.
The Associated Press reported that at least nine people in Arkansas were hurt in the storms, and one person died in Grant County. Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter and others were reported dead in flooding there.
Grant County sheriff's office chief deputy Pete Roberts said the man — whose name was not released — was driving in Tull after 9:30 p.m. when a tree fell on his vehicle. He died at the scene.
"They're thinking it may have been a tornado," Roberts said.
The Pulaski County sheriff's office said lightning started a fire shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday at a home at 3100 Jack Mann Road in Little Rock.
In Jacksonville, a large tree fell on a home at 8520 W. Republican Road, hurting a minor and rendering the place uninhabitable, the sheriff's office said.
POWER FAILURES
Entergy at 4 p.m. said about 8,700 customers were without power, with just more than 3,000 in Pulaski County and about 1,700 in Garland County. The North Little Rock Police Department warned that power failures on Maumelle Boulevard could cause traffic delays.
RAINS AND FLOODING
Heavy rains with the storms also caused flooding Thursday and watches and warnings remained in effect Friday morning, including for much of northern and parts of west-central Arkansas. In Jonesboro, police said Craighead County Road 912's east end had flooded and the road was closed.
Daily rainfall records were set in North Little Rock, Hot Springs, Batesville and Mount Ida. In Little Rock, the fire department worked numerous rescues involving vehicles that drove into flooded areas and became stalled, spokesman Capt. Jason Weaver said. No injuries were reported in Little Rock.
MORE STORMS IN FORECAST
More storms are forecast for Friday, particularly in the afternoon, when storms could be "strong to possibly severe," the weather service said.
"The main severe weather threats will be large hail and strong winds, but the tornado threat can not be discounted entirely," the agency said.
John Robinson, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service in North Little Rock, said severe weather will be possible again Saturday for "virtually the entire state" with the greatest threat in the northeast.
"During the morning, storms from overnight will probably be diminishing in northern or central Arkansas," he said in an e-mail. "Then, another round of storms should redevelop during the afternoon and evening."
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