Weather forecasters said a line of storms moving into Arkansas on Tuesday is bringing strong thunderstorms, leading to multiple severe weather alerts including at least two tornado warnings during the afternoon.
The National Weather Service said a system brewing in Oklahoma crossed into Arkansas during the late morning and will last overnight. Officials warn that parts of the state are at an increased risk of severe weather with powerful winds at the top of the agency's concerns.
Weather officials issued tornado warnings covering parts of Yell, Pope, Boone and Searcy counties during the afternoon. The earliest warnings expired around 2 p.m. with the later alerts ending at 2:45 p.m. as the system moved eastward through Arkansas.
Other countries were under severe thunderstorm watches and warnings.
Pope County Emergency Manager Justin Drittler said a woman was trapped in a storage building Tuesday afternoon after trees blew down on it north of Atkins. Crews were working to free her, he said. Drittler said he wasn't sure if the woman was injured, but said she was yelling to rescue crews.
Weather officials placed much of northern and central Arkansas at an “enhanced” risk of severe weather, including the Little Rock metro area. The risk extends to the northern border and includes Fayetteville and ends just outside of Jonesboro.
“The main threat with storms today will be damaging winds,” forecasters wrote in a morning briefing. “The other main concern would be isolated tornadoes that could develop quickly along the leading edge of the line of thunderstorms.”
Forecasters counted at least six tornadoes that swirled over Arkansas during a surge of storms this past weekend.
The agency expects drier and warmer weather later in the week.