Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders announced that the state suffered "significant damage" after a tornado hit the North Little Rock area, injuring at least 600 people.
According to CBS, the impact of the hurricane occurred in the central part of the state, including the most populous city of Arkansas – Little Rock – and its suburbs, and information has not yet been provided about the seriousness of the condition of the victims.
The city's governor declared a state of emergency in the state and deployed the National Guard to help count the fallout from the disaster.
"Praying for everyone who has been and continues to be in the path of this storm," Sanders said on Twitter.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. called for help from the National Guard and warned people to stay away from affected areas.
Meteorologist Travis Shelton said the tornado that struck North Little Rock on Friday afternoon damaged the cities of Jacksonville and Sherwood.
"We're still dealing with a lot of active weather right now, and we can't even leave our offices to check for damage," said meteorologist Jim Reynolds.
The disaster caused power outages for more than 70,000 subscribers in the state.
According to the National Weather Service field office in Des Moines, a tornado warning has been issued for southern Iowa, with radar indicating at least one tornado.
Severe thunderstorms with potential for flash flooding are also likely from the Midwest to the lower Mississippi Valley, according to the National Weather Service.
Okaz (the agencies)