A band of severe weather carrying gusty winds and thunder and lightning ripped through Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley on Sunday night (April 13), drenching much of the region in rain.
At about 8:30 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for Crawford, Franklin and Sebastian counties in the River Valley, though 5NEWS Chief Meteorologist Garrett Lewis said there was no real risk of a tornado and none were reported in the region.
“No tornado occurred tonight, and there never was a significant risk of one occurring,” Lewis said on his Facebook page, where he offered an explanation of why officials issued a warning.
A severe thunderstorm warning remained in effect for Johnson, Logan and Scott counties until 10:15 p.m.
At about 9:30 p.m., Southwestern Electric Power Co. reported 235 power outages in Sebastian County and 338 outages in Logan County. Ozarks Electric Cooperative reported 160 outages, with most of those being south and west of Stilwell, Okla., but six being east of Stilwell in Arkansas.
The storm system was expected to move out of the region by late Sunday night, ushering in colder temperatures on Monday with highs reaching only into the 40s throughout much of the area.
(The photo with this story by 5NEWS viewer Destiny shows lightning in Muldrow, Okla.)
