On Friday afternoon, a severe tornado swept through west Little Rock, causing extensive damage and being categorized as a catastrophic event by weather reporters.
Later in the evening, reports emerged of damage in Wynne, Arkansas, located west of West Memphis, where emergency crews were engaged in search and rescue operations.
Two fatalities were reported near Wynne, according to reports, but there were no fatalities in the Little Rock tornado. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. confirmed this during a news conference with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday evening.
Scott also stated that the tornado caused widespread damage, leading to a state of emergency for the city of Little Rock and the entire state of Arkansas. Many residents have been displaced across the city due to the tornado.
“We want to insure the public that your first responders are going above and beyond to insure public safety, health, and welfare,” Scott said.
Earlier on Friday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Arkansas due to the severe weather and tornadoes.
“Here at the Capitol I just signed an executive order declaring that a state of emergency exists in the state of Arkansas due to today’s severe weather,” Sanders stated. “We will spare no resource to assist with response and recovery efforts for Arkansans impacted.”
Reports from Little Rock TV indicate that there were multiple injuries as a result of the tornado, and at one point, over 61,500 power outages were reported in Pulaski County.
In a Friday night news conference, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised first responders.
“They have done an absolutely amazing job,” Sanders said. “Any time that you have a tragedy like this I don’t think you can emotionally be prepared, but certainly in terms of coordination with state and local officials, partners across the state, that has been a seamless process, and we expect that to continue in the course of the coming days.”
Storm spotters took to Twitter to share images of a large tornado at around 2:37 p.m. Images of the damage caused by the tornado were also shared on social media.
