Tornado, Flooding, Golf Ball-Sized Hail as Severe Weather Moves Into Midwest, South

Eric Chaney and Ada Carr
Published: April 26,2017
A tornado touched down about six miles southwest of Adair, Oklahoma, Tuesday night as a line of dangerous severe weather sweeps across the Midwest and South.
According to the National Weather Service, preliminary surveys show damage consistent with an EF1 tornado, but field teams are still surveying the overall track and additional damage. A second possible tornado hit Hughes County.
Parts of the South and Midwest saw impacts Wednesday morning as well. Flooding hit parts of Arkansas and golf ball-sized hail fell in parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
(MORE: Multiple Rounds of Severe Thunderstorms, Including Possible Tornadoes, Through at Least Sunday)

Flooding in northwest Arkansas forced the closure of several streets in Springdale.
(Anna Ranz, Fayetteville, AR)

This line of severe storms stretches from parts of east Texas into Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, and should push into the Lower Ohio Valley southward into west Tennessee and Mississippi and continue in Louisiana Wednesday night.
Tornadoes, occurring in discrete supercells or embedded within the squall line, will be possible throughout the event.
Here are the latest impacts from these storms.

Oklahoma

The EF1 tornado touched down around midnight Tuesday night in Adair, ABC 8 reports, and there were multiple reports of damage in the area.
One family of four told News on 6 they were able to ride out the storm by getting into a closet. They said the winds knocked down their barn and three horses inside escaped into a nearby pasture.
Brittany Perkins told the station neighbors used chainsaws to clear trees from nearby roads and driveways.
In Hughes County, the National Weather Service reported an awning was destroyed and air conditioner units were blown off the roof of a Walmart near Holdenville by a second possible tornado. There were numerous roofs blown off in the area, windows blown out and trees downed in the area, the NWS said.
McIntosh County Emergency Management officials told ABC 8 there were reports of broken windows near Stidham, and half of Checotah and parts of Eufaula were without power Wednesday morning.

Damage from a possible tornado near Holdenville, Oklahoma.
(ABC 8 )

Parts of Oklahoma also saw golf ball-sized hail Wednesday morning. Emergency management officials in LeFlore County reported that several vehicles on the north side of Heavener had body damage and windshields broken.

Illinois

Strong winds downed a tree onto a trailer in Clay Tuesday, according to NWS.

Arkansas 

Flooding has inundated multiple highways, roads and the interstate in Northwest Arkansas around Springdale, KNWA reports. The city has closed nearly half a dozen streets, and city officials are asking residents to avoid driving until the rain stops.
Two people were rescued by Buffalo National River crews Wednesday after being swept away by fast moving water when their canoe turned over in Newton County.
The area has had thunderstorms throughout most of the day, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.
Vehicles became stranded due to flooding near Mabelvale Wednesday.
Entergy Arkansas says more than 16,000 were without power as of Wednesday evening.

Texas

Golf ball-sized hail fell in Mansfield, Duncanville and Cedar Hill as the storm blew through Wednesday morning, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports.
According to NBC, both Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field reported ground stops. As of 8:20 a.m., DFW reported departure delays of an hour or less. Love Field reported delays lasting at least an hour.
MORE: What's Your Tornado Risk in Any Given Month?

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