7 Injured After Tornado Hits a School in Arkansas

On Wednesday morning, a tornado slammed through Springdale, Arkansas, injuring at least seven individuals, two of whom were severely injured. CDT, according to authorities.

(Photo : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Photo Library via Getty Images)

Tornado in Arkansas

After the twister, Mayor Doug Sprouse issued an emergency proclamation, stating that no deaths had been recorded in the city, located in northwest Arkansas near the Oklahoma and Missouri borders, roughly a three-hour drive from Little Rock.

Many people have been evacuated from their homes, and countless companies have suffered major losses.

At least two of the victims were critically injured, according to Springdale police, and all seven have been taken to the hospital.

A gymnasium at George Elementary School in the city and surrounding homes were directly struck. According to AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell, the school's cafeteria and kitchen were also severely destroyed.

Silver Lining

Because the school had not yet started for the day, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Twitter that there were no pupils inside the school at the time.

According to officials, school officials went door to door to check on the pupils and their families.

Wendi Pickard, an educational facilitator at George Elementary School, told Wadell, "There's a lot of devastation, but their concern is their students and making sure they're alright."

"They're worried. They're petrified. They want hugs and know that someone is thinking about them, and their parents appreciate it."

Also Read: Exposure to Major Disasters Can Cause Long-Term Mental Health Problems

Assessing the Situation

A survey crew from the National Weather Service office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, gave the twister a preliminary assessment of "at least EF2." "toughness. The ultimate grade was raised to EF3 as the damage survey progressed.

The Springdale Fire Department reported "severe damage" in the city's southeast, and police stated several roadways were blocked due to toppled power lines, trees, and traffic lights.

Drone footage from the area indicated that the EF3 twister, which blasted through with wind gusts of up to 145 mph, flung a family's SUV into the air and left it sitting upside-down next to the residence, tore the roofs off of numerous homes, and destroyed several structures.

According to PowerOutage.us, more than 12,000 homes and businesses in Arkansas were without power Wednesday afternoon.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes are fast-spinning columns of air that span from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground, with wind speeds up to 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes are formed by intense thunderstorms and can strike without warning. Tornadoes can kill people and destroy entire neighborhoods in a matter of seconds. Tornado damage tracks can be more than one mile broad and 50 miles long.

Tornadoes exist in a variety of sizes and forms. Due to rain or low-hanging clouds, some large tornadoes might be practically undetectable, while others can be over a mile across. The lowest section of the funnel is frequently encircled by a cloud of debris churned up by the tornado's forces. Even if the funnel isn't visible, this debris cloud can help locate a tornado.

Tornadoes may strike at any time of year, although they are more likely in the summer. The months of June through August are the most active for tornado development in the Northeast, with August seeing the most tornadoes.

Twisters in the US

The United States encounters 100,000 thunderstorms every year, with 1,000 tornadoes resulting from these storms. Tornadoes hit more than 80% of the time between midday and midnight. A tornado will only linger on the ground for around 20 minutes on average.