Several homes damaged, 4 injured, as tornadoes cut path through Arkansas

Homes damaged, 4 injured, in Arkansas tornadoes

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Tornadoes have struck parts of Arkansas, injuring four people and destroying a handful of homes.

Emergency Management spokeswoman Renee Preslar says three people suffered major injuries Wednesday in a tornado that destroyed a house near Pearson in northern Arkansas.

The National Weather Service says another person suffered a leg injury in a tornado in Center Hill in northeast Arkansas.

Tornadoes and high winds also caused damage in other areas, but no other injuries were reported. Wednesday night’s storms missed most population centers.

Forecasters have said moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, a wetter-than-usual winter and a jet stream racing over Tornado Alley could contribute to a rapid uptick in violent storms.