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Arkansas Cleans Up Following Tornadoes

Storms Continue Push Into Southeast

POSTED: 7:45 am MDT May 2, 2008
UPDATED: 12:57 pm MDT May 3, 2008

Officials in Arkansas said Saturday cleanup is "going on everywhere" following a line of powerful storms that's being blamed for at least seven deaths and damaging hundreds of homes.

Emergency officials initially reported eight deaths from the storms but have since revised the figure downward. This year's storm death toll in the state is now up to 23.

A meteorologist at the national Storm Prediction Center said as many as 25 tornadoes may have cut through stretches of Oklahoma, Arkansas, eastern Kansas and western Missouri Friday.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has declared seven counties disaster areas. More than a dozen people have been hurt and about 350 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the state.

Six of the deaths Friday were in two counties, Conway and Van Buren, also hit hard by a February tornado. That storm, with a 122-mile-long track, had winds estimated between 166 and 200 mph. The tornado Friday had winds from 135 to 165 mph.

In central Arkansas, a man, a woman and a preschool-age child died when the storm hit their house just south of Bee Branch, in Van Buren County.

Another child who lived at the home had already left for school, escaping injury.

A man and one of his sons died near Birdtown in Conway County; officials initially reported the death of a second son but Saturday he remained hospitalized. The seventh death was reported in Pulaski County, south of Little Rock.

Near the Arkansas-Oklahoma line, a 15-year-old girl died early Friday when a storm toppled a tree into her family's mobile home in Siloam Springs. She and her 10-year-old brother were sleeping in bunk beds; the boy survived with minor injuries and was pulled from the home's wreckage by neighbors.

The seventh death was reported in Pulaski County, south of Little Rock.

Nearly 6,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state.

Beebe said Arkansans would cope with the latest in a string of bad weather that has included a foot of snow, a foot of rain and severe flooding that killed three.

"We will fight through it, we will get through it and we will help our neighbors," he said. "We'll do what's necessary to take care of our people."

One-hundred homes in Kansas City have been damaged by the storms. Tornadoes appear to have touched down and caused damage in Texas and Oklahoma.

Storms Roll Through Tenn., Ky.

The storms moved into Tennessee and Kentucky Friday night and more waves of storms were expected Saturday afternoon. Rain was expected to be tapering off in Louisville, Ky., late Saturday afternoon, right about the time the Kentucky Derby is scheduled to start. The track at Churchill Downs could be muddy but a spokesman doesn't foresee any problems. In his words, "This track handles water as well as any track in the country."

At least five people were injured when severe storms ripped through Middle Tennessee overnight.

Palmyra, Tenn., in Montgomery County appeared to be the hardest hit area, reported WSMV-TV in Nashville. Several homes there were destroyed by high winds. One family was saved after their mobile home overturned.

Three homes in Henry County were also damaged in the storm. The Red Cross is assisting many victims. No tornadoes were reported overnight.

Around 4:30 p.m. Friday, the Benton County Sheriff told the Camden Police Department they saw a tornado. Also, a driver reported seeing a twister on Highway 192.

A building lost a roof on Highway 192 in the Benton County community of Holladay, Tenn.

There was also a sighting of a tornado in Henderson County on Friday.

Louisiana Sees Flooding From Storms

A line of thunderstorms packing heavy rain pushed across Southeast Louisiana Saturday morning, bringing localized flooding to some areas, reported WDSU-TV in New Orleans.

The National Weather Service issued several advisories around dawn, including a severe thunderstorm warning for much of St. Tammany Parish and a flash flood warning for St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The agency had earlier put portions of Louisiana under a tornado watch.

The weekend also got off to a rough start in Mississippi. Authorities reported a tornado Friday evening near the town of Burnsville.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, a spokesman with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said.



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