Tornado emergency declared as deadly storm tears through Arkansas and Midwest

The US national weather service declared a tornado emergency as a large and destructive tornado tore through Lake City, Arkansas, and surrounding areas in the northeast of the state.
Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a state of emergency on Wednesday, confirming on social media platform X that she had received reports of tornado and storm damage.
Footage shared on social media captured the massive twister cutting across the landscape, leaving a trail of destruction. The tornado emergency, which was issued for an area near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was lifted at 7.45 pm local time. However, meteorologists warned that the danger was far from over.
According to CNN meteorologists, the storm exhibited a "hook echo," a distinct radar signature that often indicated the presence of a powerful tornado.

The Arkansas tornado struck as a massive storm system wreaked havoc across a vast stretch of the mid-south and lower Ohio valley. As of Wednesday night, dozens of tornado watches and warnings remained in effect from northeastern Texas to Ohio, including Indianapolis, USA Today reported.
The weather service warned that the storm would bring a "barrage of life-threatening weather hazards, including flash flooding and strong tornadoes," while the storm prediction center placed the region under a high-risk alert, rating it 5/5 for severe weather.

The ferocity of the storm was evident in Paducah, Kentucky, where the national weather service office was forced to shelter in place at 8.18 pm local time due to a tornado threat.
Meteorologist Grant Dade described the terrifying moment on air. "That was a little bit intense, folks. I’ve never witnessed a wedge tornado come right into the station," he said.
The storm has already claimed at least one life, according to Sgt Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He described the devastation between the towns of Advance and Delta as "everywhere."
Authorities continue to assess the damage as emergency responders work to assist affected communities.