The Arkansas County town of Almyra sustained significant damage from a confirmed tornado Wednesday, and on Thursday afternoon, Pine Bluff and other areas in southeast Arkansas were under tornado watches and flash flood warnings, and hail was reported.
The National Weather Service in North Little Rock confirmed a tornado touched down near Almyra, southeast of Stuttgart and north of DeWitt. Emma Hyatt shared photos after the tornado hit the area and noticed the storm either damaged or obliterated several houses and shops as she drove around.
Todd Wright saw the tornado from a distance as he sat in his front yard off Arkansas 130 in Almyra.
“The activity was east of Almyra headed northeast,” he said during his Facebook live video. “I saw a lot of debris and a funnel come down.”
Tornado activity was also spotted in DeWitt, approximately 11 miles from Almyra.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Residents in the area reported hearing tornado sirens and seeking shelter as the storm system moved through. According to local reports, substations and power stations were significantly impacted, causing outages stretching from Dixie Road to the south end, and up through Almyra to Airport Road and Yoder Road.
One resident noted that the power outage map showed a large area affected.
“It knocked out everything in that area,” the resident stated. “In DeWitt, residents are still without power, and there are reports of downed power lines on Second Street. However, it appears the majority of the tornado activity and damage was concentrated outside of DeWitt, near Almyra.”
Approximately 3,000 Entergy Arkansas customers reported power outages in Arkansas County on Wednesday night. That number decreased Thursday morning, with roughly 1,000 customers still without power.
While there are significant power outages in DeWitt, the main issue seems to be damage to substations and power grids, rather than widespread tree damage or other visible destruction.
According to reports, survey crews from the NWS were to visit Almyra on Thursday.
“We have been out surveying damage,” Arkansas County Judge Eddie Best said via text. “Two residential homes and four shops have been damaged. There are multiple power lines down, mostly in Almyra. No injuries.”
The NWS had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes earlier in the day on Wednesday, prompting many residents to stay vigilant and prepare for potential impact. The storm system’s quick and powerful movement through the region left many shaken but also grateful for the warnings.
The NWS reports a multi-day heavy rainfall event across the state with multiple rounds of heavy thunderstorms expected to drop 6-10 inches of rain across the flood watch area. Isolated pockets of 12-15 inches of rain are also possible wherever heavy thunderstorms fall over the same area for consecutive days.
Such a heavy rainfall has a return interval of anywhere from 25-100 years, the NWS says. In other words, a heavy rainfall event of this magnitude falling within four days is an event that happens anywhere from once in a generation to once in a lifetime.
On Thursday, rain and thunderstorms came in waves, eventually triggering a flash flood warning in Pine Bluff. Dime-sized hail fell in some parts of the city with one photograph circulating online showing a chunk of hail three inches in diameter. Tornado watches were also prevalent in the area, lasting until 10 p.m.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Damage from Wednesday’s weather proved minimal in Jefferson County.
Karen Blevins, director of the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management, said she only heard of a tree that fell on Sunset Cove in western Pine Bluff. Jefferson County remains under a flood watch until 7 a.m. Sunday, with rain chances from 40-100% through the rest of this week.
“The flood warning and flood watches have been in effect due to the rain falling,” Blevins said. “They just want people especially in those low lying areas to be aware there could be a lot of water. Usually that could go down quickly.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the river stage on the Arkansas River at Pine Bluff to be 31.29 feet as of 10 a.m. Thursday. The constant rain is expected to rise the river to 41.6 feet, near minor flood stage, by Monday morning and 43.8 feet, approaching major flood stage, by Tuesday morning.
“If you see water across the road, don’t drive through it,” Blevins said. “If any resources of any kind are needed, call OEM and we’ll see what we can do to help them. If they have damages, they can call and report it.”
Wednesday’s high was 87 degrees, but a cold front is pushing into the area, and Sunday’s high will be 56, much lower than in recent days.
The chance of precipitation in Jefferson County for Thursday was 90%, with winds from the northeast at 5-10 mph and gusts of up to 20 mph.
Pine Bluff City Hall is open for business, Mayor Vivian Flowers said. She reported no damage and no life lost from the weather event.
“We’re hopeful and prepared in the coming days that we will remain that way,” she said.
The Pine Bluff Street Department is giving away up to 700 sandbags, Flowers said, as residents prepare for possible flooding. The city is also monitoring locations near the Arkansas River, she added.
DALLAS COUNTY
With the movement of severe weather across Arkansas on Wednesday evening, Dallas County was in the path of a suspected tornado. Because of the likelihood of bad weather, citizens showed up in downtown Fordyce to take shelter in the Civil Defense basement of the Dallas County Courthouse.
Although the storm’s path through the county was heralded by a display of lightning, thunder and some small hail, no tornado had yet been confirmed as of Thursday morning.
According to Dallas County Judge Chris Stanfield, more than 100 locals sought refuge in the reinforced basement of the 100-plus year-old seat of county government. The judge further stated how he had received reports of roofs blown off of houses in the northern part of the county near Sparkman and was en route there to inspect the damage.
Just west of Fordyce, on Highway 273, water pressure was lost by the rural water system following a large pine tree being struck by lightning and blowing out the main water line when tree roots exploded from the ground. One local water user located less than a mile away stated that he happened to be touching the faucet at the instant the lightning struck and felt the tingle of electricity in accompaniment with the flash and thunder.
Fordyce Water & Sewer had repairs made and water service restored by 10:30 Thursday morning.
Entergy reported a large power outage in the Thornton area that was also quickly restored by local line crews.
Storm drains in the area were severely tested by the rapid accumulation of three inches of rain within a short period of time.
Information for this article was contributed by Richard Ledbetter.