To the north, in Oklahoma, firefighters are struggling to get the upper hand against the Rhea fire
MOUNTAINBURG, Arkansas — Parts of the central U. S. are dealing with severe weather this weekend — everything from fire and ice — to blizzards and a tornado.
People across the South had gotten a warning. And that’s what sent Jimmy Bates, his wife and their four grandkids into this storm shelter in Mountainburg, Arkansas. When they came out, there was debris everywhere. Scattered in the tree line, the corner garage was and as they rounded the corner here and saw half of the roof of the house was missing. It all happened in less than 10 seconds.
“You could see debris just going like this and we immediately got back in shut the door and locked it,” said Sheryl Bates. “I told the kids it might get loud and then it hit.”
Utility crews are working to get Mountainburg, Arkansas back online after this small town of nearly 700 people was devastated by a tornado on Friday.
One Arkansas couple raced against the tornado and lost. Thankful for their seatbelts, they were unhurt when their vehicle flipped into a ditch.
In northeast Louisiana, a two year-old child was killed overnight when a tree crashed into the RV she was sleeping in. Four adults and a toddler — also inside — got out OK.
To the north, in Oklahoma, firefighters are struggling to get the upper hand against the Rhea fire .
Wildfires have charred more than 365,000 acres across the western part of the state.
Across the Plains, spring snowfall is the issue.
White-out conditions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota led state patrol to warn drivers they “may not be able to get to you if you become stranded.”
Some in the Plains expect to see up to a foot of snow.
“I’m just here until the DOT says we can move,” said one long-haul trucker. Skirting across Interstate 90, they have been forced to park their big rigs and wait it out.
“I think i’m going to be stuck here,” he said “I’m from Oklahoma, and we don’t run into situations like this. This is all an new animal for me.”
