ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas Governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, declared a state of emergency in the state on June 20 after severe weather in the area over the weekend.
On Sunday, June 18, the National Weather Service confirmed via radar that an EF2 tornado hit Logan County at around 1:12 a.m.
Winds estimated to be 120 mph went through eastern Logan County for 5.4 miles, according to reports. Officials say the tornado path was 700 yards wide hitting communities in the area.
Severe winds affected Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley as well. Meteorologist Matt Standrige explains there were "two large storm complexes" one of which hit the River Valley and the other hitting Northwest Arkansas. Overall, the severe weather caused multiple power outages, damaged chicken houses, downed power lines, snapped trees and fences, and damage to homes and businesses.
Given the damage caused by the storms, cleanup, and transportation of materials and equipment needs to be expedited to return power to those impacted by outages. The state of emergency will apply to commercial and emergency vehicles carrying those materials. These vehicles will be allowed to bypass weighing stations when transporting heavy equipment and materials needed to restore power. The state of emergency will be in effect until July 17.
“This authorization does not include vehicles that require permits to operate on Arkansas’ roadways. This authorization does not relieve size and weight restrictions. This declaration only applies to weigh stations and to vehicles traveling in convoy,” Sanders writes.
Lastly, all provisions of regulating statutes prescribing procedures for the conduct of the Office of State Procurement, the Arkansas Building Authority, the Office of Personnel Management, and all other state departments and agencies are suspended. This will give maximum assistance to the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment and the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, through the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, as they try to expedite help to those impacted by the severe weather.
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