BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — In a press conference on May 28, Benton County officials provided another update after multiple tornados swept across most of the county in the early morning of Sunday, May 26, killing four, injuring others, cutting power, and damaging countless homes.
A total of eight people have died from the tornadoes that swept into Arkansas on May 26.
In a preliminary report released by the National Weather Service (NWS) based on early damage surveys, NWS estimated two tornados touched down (one suspected EF-3 near Decatur, and another near Centerton) on top of widespread storm damage across the county.
During the conference, Judge Barry Moehring gave an update on the recovery efforts, stating the county had already cleared about 500 miles of roads.
Sheriff Shawn Holloway advised residents to stay aware of people coming to the area to take advantage of the chaos, reminding impacted residents to not pay cash for recovery services until the service has been provided. If a deal seems suspicious, Holloway invites residents to contact The Benton County Sheriff's Office at (479) 271-1008.
Prosecuting Attorney Josh Robinson confirmed reports of looting in Rogers but said "At times like this, we get to see the best of our community ... We've seen so many positive examples of people responding to the need and helping each other."
"But we've also heard reports of people out there taking advantage of the situation," said Robinson. "My office can't be out rescuing people, but what we can do is ensure that those who victimize people in a time of need like this are prosecuted."
The Benton County Director of Emergency Management Michael Waddle spoke on the importance of the online citizen self-reporting tool in helping officials focus aid in the most impacted places.
"There are 794 homes that have been reported as damaged, and that's probably a very slim portion of the truth," said Waddle. "Every time we go out we find a new part of the community that was hit."
Moehring noted that although power companies are making incremental progress in restoring energy, there are still large areas that don't have power.
Derek Murken with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers confirmed the beaches at Prairie Creek and Horseshoe Bend will be closed indefinitely due to storm damage, but the beach at Rocky Branch will likely be reopened soon.
Judge Moehring emphasized the importance of using Benton County's website to report damage.
In their first press conference, just a few hours after the storm, officials confirmed the death of one person and announced an emergency disaster declaration, requesting assistance from both state and federal agencies.
In the days following the storm, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and visited many of the most impacted areas.
For information on how impacted people can get assistance, or offer help, check out our article about recovery efforts here.
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