Battered Plains, Southern states brace for more tornadoes
Severe storms leave 18 dead over the weekend
Arkansas and neighboring states are picking up the pieces this morning after a series of tornadoes last night that killed at least 18 people – 16 of them in Arkansas alone. Rescuers whose search efforts were hindered by darkness fear that number may rise today as they resume their task, using bulldozers and backhoes to comb through the rubble.
News sources also reported fatalities in Arkansas and Oklahoma. An estimated 31 tornadoes raced through the Plains and the South, destroying dozens of homes and businesses. In Faulkner County, Ark. alone, Sheriff Andy Shock said at least 150 homes were leveled.Approximately 20,000 people in Arkansas were left without power.