PHOTOS: Tornado causes damage across central Arkansas

by: Miriam Battles, Alex Kienlen, Brandon Ringo, Andrew DeMillo

Posted: Mar 31, 2023 / 05:30 PM CDT

Updated: Mar 31, 2023 / 05:30 PM CDT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KARK/AP) – A tornado swept through central Arkansas Friday evening, leaving roofs torn off buildings, trees down and thousands of power outages.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock was operating at a mass casualty level and expecting at least 15 to 20 patients from the tornado, spokesperson Leslie Taylor said. Several people had already been transported to the medical center, but an exact count was not immediately available.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has asked Gov. Sanders for National Guard Assistance. He has asked people to stay away from affected areas.

There are currently thousands of customers without power due to the severe storms. According to PowerOutages.us, Pulaski County are reporting the most outages.

Multiple tornado warnings are still being issued in Arkansas as the day progresses into the late evening.