At least 7 dead in Arkansas storms
(CNN) -- A rare and dangerous outbreak of severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes could erupt Tuesday afternoon across parts of the South, from northeast Texas to the Mississippi River, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.
Locations including northeast Texas, far southeast Oklahoma, extreme northwestern Louisiana and the southern half of Arkansas are at high risk for severe thunderstorms late Tuesday afternoon and into Tuesday night, according to the Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
"Dangerous tornado and severe thunderstorm outbreak expected late this afternoon into tonight from northeast Texas ... to the Mississippi River," forecasters said.
Typically, only a handful of days per year reach high-risk criteria, said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
"Very large hail and damaging winds" can also be expected, forecasters said.
On Wednesday, portions of Kentucky and Tennessee will be at moderate risk of severe thunderstorms, along with northeast and east-central Mississippi, the northern half of Alabama and northwest Georgia, the Storm Prediction Center said. An area between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains is "likely to see a widespread/potentially dangerous severe weather event," forecasters said.
Arkansas may be under the gun for the second time this week. Nearly 67,000 people were out of power Tuesday morning after a rash of severe storms tore through the state Monday, leaving seven dead and destroying more than a dozen homes.
The weather also spawned a suspected tornado that struck an Air Force base, military officials said, and prompted the Arkansas governor to declare a state of emergency.
At least four people died in the severe thunderstorms in Faulkner County, county spokesman Stephan Hawks said Tuesday morning. He said 14 to 16 homes had been destroyed in the town of Vilonia.
Gov. Mike Beebe toured Vilonia Tuesday, telling CNN affiliate KATV, "These folks have suffered some terrible losses."
The governor said he was surprised there were no more fatalities, given the extent of the damage. The ground is so saturated that instead of snapping trees, high winds pulled them out of the ground, he said.
And "it may not be over," he said. "... I think Arkansans need to be very cautious."
On Monday night, Madison County Sheriff Phillip Morgan said the bodies of an elderly man and woman were found after flood waters swept away the couple's car on Highway 23 south of Huntsville, in northwest Arkansas. The deaths are attributed to rising flood waters along War Eagle Creek.
Also in northwest Arkansas, the Washington County Sheriff's Office confirmed the death of 38-year-old Consuelo Santillano, who authorities say was swept away by rapidly moving water across Highway 265 South.
And a possible tornado struck Little Rock Air Force Base in central Arkansas, damaging at least 16 homes and knocking out power to some parts of the base, military officials said.
Bob Oldham, a spokesman for the base, reported two minor injuries and some damage to aircraft at the base. The number of aircraft and the extent of damage were not immediately clear, Oldham said early Tuesday.
The state also saw seven deaths in an earlier round of severe weather this month.
Other parts of the state were flooded after several days of unceasing rain.
Steve Wilkes of Fayetteville said his house was spared damage from a nearby flooded creek, but some of his friends are dealing with flooded basements.
"I've lived here for more than 20 years. I've never seen anything like this in my life," Wilkes said. "I saw water 2 to 3 feet deep across roadways that have never flooded."
In various parts of the state, the storms flipped over cars, damaged homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands, emergency management officials said. Some areas reported gusts of up to 70 mph.
Entergy Arkansas, Inc., which provides electricity to 687,000 customers in 63 counties, reported almost 67,000 customers were without power Tuesday morning.
Beebe declared a state of emergency Monday night "in response to the severe storms and flooding that have impacted Arkansas and are expected to continue in the coming days," according to a statement on the governor's website.
The declaration is retroactive to include storms that began on April 19, according to the statement.
Emergency management officials said they received a number of reports of trees ripped out of the ground and cars flipped over in Garland County, in central Arkansas.
There were more than 15,000 homes in Garland County alone without power, said Joy Sanders, director of the county's emergency management.
The winds knocked over a mobile home near Hot Springs, trapping a person, Sanders said.
She said there were so many calls for assistance that there were not enough medics or ambulances to respond. The county called for assistance from neighboring counties, she said.
The stage may be set for a potential record-breaking month for tornadoes nationwide, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The long-term average for confirmed tornadoes in April is 116. The previous record for April is 267 confirmed tornadoes in 1974, which includes the historic "super outbreak" of April 3 and 4 that year. According to the Storm Prediction Center, the likely total of confirmed tornadoes through April 24 is between 200 and 275.
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