(KATV, Source: U
of A System Division of Agriculture) Piggott - Storms sweeping
through Arkansas on Tuesday caused one lightning injury, downed trees and power
lines and caused damage to farms around the state.
One person was hospitalized in Drew County
after being shocked by lightning, according to the National Weather Service. In
Arkansas County, winds pushed a tree on to a truck on Hwy 153 between DeWitt
and St. Charles and a shed and chicken coop were destroyed, the weather service
said.
Storm damage was also reported in Boone, Van
Buren, Faulkner, Jefferson, Hot Spring and Monroe counties and tornado warnings
were issued for Pulaski, Jefferson, Drew, and Desha counties.
Andy Vangilder, Clay County extension staff
chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said "we
had one area that a farm shop and a camper were torn up all in a line with two
center pivots that were flipped upside down."
"The worry is whether the farmer can get those
two center pivots replaced in time for crop season," Vangilder said Wednesday.
Vangilder said it wasn't clear whether the
damage was from straight-line winds or a small funnel.
In Desha County, Extension Staff Chair Wes
Kirkpatrick said high winds also caused damage there.
"We had a few trees blown down, some shingles
blown off of roofs, and some light weight out-buildings or sheds blown away,"
he said.
In north central Arkansas, Cleburne County
Extension Staff Chair Michelle Mobley said: "One small area got hit pretty hard,
particularly the feed store of Drasco community, with barn damage, chicken
houses, fences, windows blown out of house."
On the plus side, the storms brought
much-needed rain, with the weather service reporting more than 2 inches of rain in portions of the
north and west, and also along the Mississippi River.
To learn
more about disaster recovery, contact your county extension office, or click
here.
