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Power is being restored across central Arkansas, where tornadoes left a path of downed trees, snapped utility poles and damaged homes and businesses.
Utility companies said power was out to a total of 47,000 customers this morning and that it would be slow going to bring some areas back up, considering the level of damage.
Entergy Arkansas says 38,500 customers are without power and First Electric Cooperatives says has 8,500 customers out.
Interstate 30 had been shut down at far southwest Little Rock because of water over the highway but State police say flood waters on are starting to recede.
Spokesman Bill Sadler says I-30 westbound has reopened and that the center lane of I-30 eastbound is open. Also, two lanes of the south I-30 service road are open.
The Hot Spring County Sheriff's Office says flash floods in Malvern have resulted in a number of road closings. A dispatcher says deputies were still trying to get to different areas to block traffic.
Last night's tornado damaged a trailer park, an auto dealership and other spots in Saline County, and moved northeast into Little Rock and then North Little Rock last night. Trees are down, power poles are broken. The twister moved over the National Weather Service (web|news) office in North Little Rock, where the airport also sustained damage to hangars and aircraft.
In the Little Rock area, 18,500 people were without power this morning.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for much of central and south Arkansas today, and flooding continues to be a problem over areas around the White, Black and Spring rivers.
First Electric says its outages are scattered throughout its service area.
Entergy reports that there are 9,300 outages in the Hot Springs area, 82,000 in the Jacksonville-Cabot areas, 1,300 in Faulkner County and other scattered outages. However, University of Central Arkansas spokesman Warwick Sabin says there is no damage on the campus as previously reported.
Entergy spokesman James Thompson says estimates for when power will be restored won't be available until crews can assess the extent of the damage to lines and utility poles.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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