Tornado Confirmed in Arkansas
By: KNWA News via KARK, Little Rock
Updated: December 20, 2012
Update (9:15 a.m.):
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Little Rock confirms the storm that struck right outside Sheridan early this morning was a tornado.
The NWS says a storm survey this morning found what is described as "definite tornado damage" on Grant County Rd. 43 and Shoemaker Road, about 1 mile WSW of the Sheridan city limits.
NWS surveyors are working to determine the rating of the tornado, which left damage described below.
The NWS photo below shows a mobile home that was destroyed by the tornado.
Original story (8:00 a.m.):
Some Grant County residents are cleaning up this morning after overnight storms left damage on their property.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Little Rock has sent surveyors to Sheridan to determine if the damage was caused by a tornado or just a thunderstorm.
The NWS reported at 1:25 this morning that a mobile home and several sheds were damaged or destroyed west of Sheridan and that there was one injury. Several trees were downed with some of them on houses and vehicles and trees were also blocking roads, the NWS said.
The video attached to this story shows damage along Shoemaker Road, on the west side of Sheridan. That's where a carport collapsed onto a car. There were also a lot of tree limbs scattered around as well as debris in the road.
"We didn't really hear anything other than it sounded like hail for just a few minutes. My husband said 'Boy, that's some big hail' and it wasn't long until we saw flashing lights and we got up. I looked out the window and that's when I saw the tree in the yard and saw that there was something across the road," Sheridan homeowner Joan Roberts told KARK this morning. "A lot of wind not a a lot of rain. I didn't hear a roar or anything like that. It was a lot of stuff hitting and, like I said, we thought it was hail at first."
"We're still assessing damage this morning. We couldn't really do a lot of that at night, so we're back at the daylight hours trying to determine just how extensive the damage is," said Grant County Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Pruitt.
"Well, I woke up. I heard the rain, then I heard this loud very, very loud roaring noise and then I started hearing all these popping noises, and then I hit the floor," said Homeowner Suellen Waters. "I just think I'm alive and my family is alive through the grace of God."
The NWS says its surveyors are also headed to Monroe County to assess a trail of damage from north of Almyra to southwest of Blackton.
The late night/early morning storms that same through Arkansas also contained what the NWS describes as mud rain. The weather agency says it came from a Wednesday dust storm in West Texas that blew into Arkansas with the rain. The result, lots of dirty cars today.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Little Rock confirms the storm that struck right outside Sheridan early this morning was a tornado.
The NWS says a storm survey this morning found what is described as "definite tornado damage" on Grant County Rd. 43 and Shoemaker Road, about 1 mile WSW of the Sheridan city limits.
NWS surveyors are working to determine the rating of the tornado, which left damage described below.
The NWS photo below shows a mobile home that was destroyed by the tornado.
Original story (8:00 a.m.):
Some Grant County residents are cleaning up this morning after overnight storms left damage on their property.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Little Rock has sent surveyors to Sheridan to determine if the damage was caused by a tornado or just a thunderstorm.
The NWS reported at 1:25 this morning that a mobile home and several sheds were damaged or destroyed west of Sheridan and that there was one injury. Several trees were downed with some of them on houses and vehicles and trees were also blocking roads, the NWS said.
The video attached to this story shows damage along Shoemaker Road, on the west side of Sheridan. That's where a carport collapsed onto a car. There were also a lot of tree limbs scattered around as well as debris in the road.
"We didn't really hear anything other than it sounded like hail for just a few minutes. My husband said 'Boy, that's some big hail' and it wasn't long until we saw flashing lights and we got up. I looked out the window and that's when I saw the tree in the yard and saw that there was something across the road," Sheridan homeowner Joan Roberts told KARK this morning. "A lot of wind not a a lot of rain. I didn't hear a roar or anything like that. It was a lot of stuff hitting and, like I said, we thought it was hail at first."
"We're still assessing damage this morning. We couldn't really do a lot of that at night, so we're back at the daylight hours trying to determine just how extensive the damage is," said Grant County Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Pruitt.
"Well, I woke up. I heard the rain, then I heard this loud very, very loud roaring noise and then I started hearing all these popping noises, and then I hit the floor," said Homeowner Suellen Waters. "I just think I'm alive and my family is alive through the grace of God."
The NWS says its surveyors are also headed to Monroe County to assess a trail of damage from north of Almyra to southwest of Blackton.
The late night/early morning storms that same through Arkansas also contained what the NWS describes as mud rain. The weather agency says it came from a Wednesday dust storm in West Texas that blew into Arkansas with the rain. The result, lots of dirty cars today.
