President Barack Obama declared seven Arkansas counties major disaster areas from Christmas ice and snow damage on Tuesday, as a new storm crossed the state carrying high winds.
The federal declaration makes Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties eligible to receive funding for emergency work and the repair of damaged public facilities.
Along with wind, the strong storm system that entered Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon brought thunderstorms and hail, and spawned multiple tornado warnings by nightfall, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management officials said the most extensive damage as of 9 p.m. was reported in Madison County, near the Carroll County line. Department spokesman Brandon Morris said barns were destroyed and homes were damaged. Area residents also reported about 30 cows missing and some dead.
In Crawford County, where a tornado warning was issued about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday,winds destroyed a four-bedroom cabin near Natural Dam in the northwestern part of the county, said Steve Gann of the Crawford County Office of Emergency Management.
Several farm buildings and a travel trailer on Rainwater Road were damaged, and a tree fell onto a vacant home, Gann said.
There were no injuries reported.
Gann said several trees were also blown over along Arkansas 59, and utility lines were down.
In Little Rock, City Manager Bruce Moore said there were reports of tornado sightings near Mabelvale Pike and Chicot Road, but nothing ever touched down. There were noreports of damage.
The National Weather Service in North Little Rock said most reports of damage in the Little Rock area involved downed power lines and trees. Dave Scheibe, an observation program leader at the weather service, said eastern Pulaski County was under a tornado warning until 7:45 p.m., but they hadn’t received any reports to verify a tornado in the Little Rock area.
The weather service received a report of a tornado east of Monticello about 8:52 p.m.
Entergy Arkansas officialssaid more than 9,800 homes and businesses - mostly in Jefferson County and Cross County - were without power about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
Moore announced the federal disaster relief at a Board of Directors meeting Tuesday evening and asked city directors to prepare a resolution for next Tuesday to allow him to bid out the debris clearing work and award a contract to the lowest qualified bidder.
With more storm damage Tuesday, there may be more than enough work to go around. The storms formed Tuesday afternoon in Northwest Arkansas after a strong cold front from the southern Plains crossed into the state. Temperatures ranged in the 60s and 70s on Tuesday afternoon.
Temperatures are expected to drop drastically by nightfall tonight, National Weather Service meteorologist Marty Trexler said. Forecasters predicted Little Rock’s mercury will dip to 29 degrees, and Fayetteville is expected to see a low reading of 23 degrees. Forecasters also say there’s even a slight chance for snow flurries on the northern edge of the state Thursday evening.
Information for this report was contributed by Aziza Musa of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 01/30/2013