The aftermath of a severe thunderstorm has left Little Rock residents dealing with downed trees and power lines, causing significant disruptions across the city. The storm, which struck on Saturday, prompted a surge in both 911 calls for water rescues and reports of fallen trees and power lines.
Captain Jason Weaver of the Little Rock Fire Department said, "Crews ran around 70 lines down calls, and a lot of those were trees across the lines and trees on houses, trees falling in backyards and pulling the service off the house. A lot of different rescues."
One notable rescue involved a woman trapped inside her home by a fallen tree. Weaver emphasized the department's focus on safety, stating, "First, they assess the situation and determine if there are any life safety issues, if someone's trapped, if there's gas leaks, electrical problems. So they take all those safety concerns into consideration."
The storm's heavy rain and strong winds have been blamed for uprooting trees and causing them to fall on homes, cars, and driveways. "With all the rain, a lot of the soil has become loose, and with the winds, a lot of trees were uprooted," Weaver said. Linda Langston, a resident whose house was struck by a tree, recounted her experience: "I happened to see all this in my yard, so it kind of frightened me. It's kind of scared because about two years ago, I was in a tornado, and it demolished my whole apartment." Langston is now waiting for an assessment to ensure her home is safe.
