A powerful tornado touched down in northeastern Arkansas on Wednesday, prompting the issuance of an urgent tornado emergency as the supercell passed through communities such as Lake City and Blytheville.
The FOX Forecast Center described the storm as a “wedge tornado,” a type of twister that is particularly dangerous and wide, which sent storm chasers scrambling to put enough distance between themselves and the violent cyclone.
The tornado, with multiple vortices swirling around its base, was first spotted just east of Jonesboro and quickly moved toward the Arkansas-Missouri state line.
Accompanying the destructive tornado were bursts of light, likely caused by transformers exploding due to the intense winds, which were estimated to have reached nearly 200 mph.
Brandon Copic, one of FOX Weather’s exclusive storm chasers, tracked the tornado in real time.
“It’s coming very close to me,” Copic reported. “There is an audible roar with it right now.”
Copic estimated the twister was at least an EF-3 and showed characteristics of being substantially stronger, which further underscored the danger to residents in its path.
Local authorities urgently advised residents to seek substantial shelter during the storm, calling the situation extremely dangerous.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there were reports of storm and tornado damage around the state with emergency personnel on the ground to help the injured.
Local authorities reported at least two dozen homes were significantly damaged in Monette and Lake City, with seven people receiving treatment for injuries.
The Westside Consolidated School District, which services rural communities in the northeast portion of the state, reported that classes will not be held on Thursday as at least one of its facilities was damaged during the severe weather outbreak.
Power outage tracking websites reported at least 40,000 customers without electricity as of Wednesday evening.
Earlier in the day, a separate tornado struck eastern Missouri, prompting firefighters to conduct search-and-rescue operations north of the small town of Potosi.
More than 15 million residents, stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, were placed under tornado watches, with forecasters urging those in the thunderstorm zone to remain alert for potential additional tornado activity.
