Watch: Drone video shows extensive damage left behind by devastating Arkansas tornadoes
Aerial footage shows extensive tornado damage in both Little Rock and Wynne, Arkansas in the hours after deadly tornadoes struck the South and Midwest. After an extensive review, officials confirmed that the tornado had EF-3 damage.
See shocking drone footage of tornado caused devastation in Arkansas
Incredible drone footage of the damage left in the wake of deadly tornadoes in Arkansas.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Drone footage shows the extent of the damage left behind from a pair of destructive tornadoes that struck Arkansas during Friday night's severe weather outbreak.
A Tornado Emergency was in effect when a large twister swept through western and northern Little Rock, leaving one dead and dozens injured. Officials at the National Weather Service gave the twister a preliminary rating of EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, noting maximum winds of 165 mph. That places it on the high end of that rating.
Drone video from storm chaser Brian Emfinger with Live Storms Media was shot moments after the tornado passed an area in west Little Rock. It shows homes with roof damage and toppled trees.
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"It was a pretty serious scene," Emfinger told FOX & Friends. "There were multiple businesses, shopping centers that were damaged and destroyed, homes that were just gone."
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Drone video shows damage from a tornado that swept through Little Rock, Arkansas on March 31, 2023.
(Brian Emfinger / Live Storms Media / FOX Weather)
Emfinger's footage showed homes with roofs ripped apart, trees knocked over and major damage to a shopping area.
"People were walking out of the out of these neighborhoods and, you know, they were pretty much in shock," Emfinger said. "Little Rock has not been hit by a tornado like this in quite some time, and certainly not in recent years… I think it was pretty surprising to a lot of people."
Extensive tornado wreckage in Wynne, Arkansas
Farther east, another strong, EF-3 tornado later caused extensive damage to Wynne, Arkansas.
Trees around town could be seen knocked over like chess pieces. Some homes had their roofs peeled off, exposing the once-hidden wooden beams and layers of insulation. Other homes were leveled.
Tornado damage in Wynee, Arkansas on March 31, 2023.
(Brett Adair / Live Storms Media / FOX Weather)
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Four people lost their lives during the storms, while drone video from Live Storm Media's Brett Adair showed survivors climbing through the wreckage of their homes in the hours after the tornado struck.
So far, at least 14 people have died in the storms across the U.S., which triggered over 850 storm reports over 13 states.