Twister tally for the week now up to 8 in 5 counties

Eight tornadoes have now been confirmed as part of storms that moved through Arkansas earlier this week, the National Weather Service said.

Twisters were reported in White, Conway, Jackson, Johnson and Cleburne counties between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, meteorologists said Friday morning.

Two tornadoes in White County and one in Conway County had been confirmed as of Thursday.

Five more -- another in Conway County, two in Jackson County, one in Johnson County and one in Cleburne County -- were reported Friday by survey crews that had evaluated damage in those areas.

An EF1 tornado with estimated winds of 100-mph struck extreme northeast Conway County about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday.

A second Conway County twister, an EF0 with winds reaching up to 85 mph, touched down minutes later at 2:18 a.m. about 3 miles southwest of Formosa. That tornado traveled about 1 mile, leaving behind partial damage to a roof and a few barns destroyed, surveyors said.

In Jackson County, an EF1 tornado with winds up to 110 mph struck at 3:13 a.m. more than 3 miles southwest of Possum Grape. It was on the ground for a little more than 4 miles.

Another EF1 tornado with estimated winds of 110 mph hit near Diaz at 3:20 a.m. and traveled about 1½ miles in the county, according to the weather service.

Damage reports in Jackson County included numerous downed trees and power poles. One large tree crushed a tractor. Several homes also received roof damage.

Two more EF1 tornadoes were confirmed in Johnson County and Cleburne County on Friday. Winds associated with those tornadoes reached up to 90 mph and 100 mph, respectively, surveyors said, but further details regarding the twisters were not immediately available.

In White County, an EF2 with estimated winds of about 115 mph touched down Tuesday in Kensett, and an EF1 with peak winds of 110 mph ripped through Higginson.

State Desk on 03/04/2017

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