A week after Mississippi, Arkansas was on Friday grappling with a tornado described as “catastrophic” by the American media, which left five people dead and many injured in its path.
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On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for part of the metropolitan area of Little Rock, the state’s capital and largest city, saying a “devastating tornado” was ravaging the area.
Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. said he is in close communication with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee. He also called on the help of the National Guard of the United States to come to the aid of the victims. “Please stay clear of affected areas to allow emergency responders access,” the mayor wrote in a Tweet.
He also confirmed that 24 people were injured and taken to hospital. According to him, significant damage was caused to many homes in the city.
FOX 16 first confirmed that one person had died in Little Rock in the heavy storms.
Late Friday evening, the death toll climbed to five.
Governor Huckabee also indicated that she was actively working to provide relief to those affected. She implores state residents to stay on the lookout as the storms continue to wreak havoc.
300,000 people live in the alert zone in Arkansas and are directly affected by these extreme weather conditions.