Storms Hammer Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas

A powerful storm system swept across Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma late on Sunday and early Monday, killing at least one person and injuring four others, emergency officials said, as millions of people were in the path of hurricane-force winds and possible tornadoes later on Oct. 13.

The storms destroyed a home near Ashdown, Ark., about 150 miles southwest of Little Rock, but it wasn’t immediately known whether the damage was caused by powerful winds or a pop-up tornado, said Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Rick Fahr. The storm downed trees in western Arkansas and left about 5,800 homes and businesses without power Monday morning in the state.

Damaging winds knocked out electricity and overturned trucks on Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma as powerful thunderstorms came through the state.

No tornadoes were reported in the storms, but damaging winds and large hail hit many areas of Oklahoma. In Washita County, Interstate 40 was closed for about an hour late Sunday after two tractor trailers were toppled by winds. The interstate was again closed Monday morning in Caddo County because of downed power lines.

No injuries have been reported. The Storm Prediction Center reports a mobile home was destroyed in Kiowa County, while other homes were damaged in Cotton, Jackson and Stephens counties.

Thousands of homes and businesses lost power as storms soaked parts of North Texas and led to an apparent lightning strike that set an oil well site on fire.

No injuries were reported in the fire in the Longview area, about 120 miles southeast of Dallas. More than 30 nearby homes and businesses were briefly evacuated, as a precaution.

Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary says the well site fire, which was under control about two hours after starting, apparently was sparked by lightning.

Topics Texas Windstorm Oklahoma Arkansas