3:15 P.M. UPDATE:
The roof of an Arkansas prison was damaged when severe storms crossed the state and the prison and another prison had temporary power outages.
Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman Solomon Graves said Thursday that the roof at the Delta Regional Unit in Dermott was damaged during the overnight storm.
Graves said both the Delta and the McPherson Unit at Newport had temporary power outages during the storm. He said both prisons used generators and operations continued normally.
No injuries were reported.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details on the weather aftermath.
— The Associated Press
11:35 A.M. UPDATE:
The National Weather Service said Thursday that it will survey damage in southeast Arkansas after storms moved through Chicot County late Wednesday.
"Significant damage" was reported in Dermott that included downed power lines, uprooted trees and heavily damaged homes, according to Latrice Maxie, a meteorologist in the weather service's Jackson, Miss., office.
A local nursing home also was damaged after storms moved through the tornado-warned area about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, she said.
Once surveyors are on the ground in southeast Arkansas, Maxie said, officials will analyze whether the damage was caused by a possible tornado. Surveying will likely occur Friday, she said.
— Brandon Riddle
EARLIER:
A second round of potentially hazardous spring storms is expected to move across Arkansas Thursday, a day after heavy rains and thunderstorms caused flash flooding around the state.
The National Weather Service in North Little Rock issued a hazardous weather outlook for most of the state early Thursday ahead of a cold front it said would move in from Oklahoma.
The main threats from the storm will be large hail and damaging winds, though the weather service said a few isolated tornadoes are possible.
Flash flooding also remained a concern, with watches in effect in the eastern Delta and southern counties.
Between 3 and 4 inches of rain set off a flurry of flash food alerts throughout central Arkansas, and crews had to perform several water rescues, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
In North Little Rock, a portion of John F. Kennedy Boulevard was washed out after a culvert collapsed near Cedar Creek Road.
The end-of-the-month deluge brought several areas close to record highs for monthly rainfall.
In Little Rock, 12.22 inches of rain fell throughout March, making it the wettest month since November of 2011, the weather service said on Twitter. In Pine Bluff, 14.81 inches this month was the most since December 1982, the weather service said.
— John Moritz