At least three people are dead and dozens more are hospitalized after a series of brutal tornadoes ripped through several states in the southern and midwestern United States on Friday, smashing homes and reducing neighborhoods to rubble, as forecasters warn that the danger will continue into the night.
The first death was reported in north Little Rock, Arkansas, after a violent tornado devastated the area Friday afternoon, Pulaski County spokeswoman Madeline Roberts confirmed to CNN. At least 50 people were reported hospitalized in the area and more were expected, Roberts said.
Farther east, two people died after a violent storm devastated the town of Wynne, Arkansas, said St. Francis County Coroner Miles Kimble, who traveled to Cross County to help. CNN also contacted the Coroner’s Office in Cross County, where Wynne is located.
The powerful storm that hit the city trapped residents in their homes and significantly damaged the area, said Rebekah Magnus of the state’s division of emergency management. Images from the area showed the storm leveling entire streets across the city, devastating a local high school, smashing buildings and leaving little resembling the homes that stood there a few hours ago.
