Storms leave trail of damage, at least 3 dead in Benton County
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Longtime Rogers business Susie Q Malt Shop sustained substantial damage. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Cleanup is continuing in Benton County after severe storms caused extensive damage, notably in Rogers, Bentonville and Decatur over the weekend.
Threat level: At least eight people in Arkansas died because of the storms, including three people in Benton County, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday night at a press conference.
- The Benton County deaths included a case of a woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who died when she lost access to her oxygen because the electricity was out, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack said.
- One person had a heart attack during the storms, and a tree killed one person when it fell on a mobile home.
- There were also multiple injuries, Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said Sunday morning.
Catch up quick: NWA saw multiple storms including suspected tornados early Sunday morning, causing damage to homes and businesses, fallen trees in roadways and power lines down.
- Sanders surveyed the damage Monday along with local officials.
State of play: More than 40,000 customers were without power in Benton County as of early afternoon Monday, according to PowerOutage.us.
- The Rogers Public Library, Rogers Historical Museum and Adult Wellness Center are closed Tuesday. Rogers parks and trails will be closed until they are cleared of debris, according to the city. Bentonville is also asking that people stay off the trails.
- Some Benton County facilities are also closed, including the Rogers office and assessor and collector offices in Bentonville, Gravette and Siloam Springs.
Zoom in: Rogers Public Schools has ended its school year in light of the storms. Students were scheduled to attend until Thursday.
- "The majority of our schools have debris around. But three schools took the brunt of the damage — Lingle Middle School, Northside Elementary and Westside Elementary — with roof damage and HVAC damage," Rogers Public Schools spokesperson Jason Ivester told Axios in an email.
- Bentonville Public Schools canceled classes for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, adding that high school students should "review their testing options." Some school district buildings do not have electricity, spokesperson Leslee Wright told Axios.
What's next: Sanders signed an executive order to declare an emergency and authorize the director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management to use $250,000 from the Governor's Disaster Response and Recovery Fund.
Get help: Tyson Foods and Walmart will distribute meals from 11am-5pm Tuesday at the Walmart parking lot on West Walnut Street in Rogers.
- Rogers Public Schools will provide free breakfast at 8am and lunch at noon this week through Friday at Rogers High School.
- Wright's Barbecue will serve meals starting at 11:30am Tuesday and Wednesday in the Rogers District Court parking lot on South Dixieland Road.