Central Arkansas Hit With Strong Storms

ANN REAL-TIME UPDATE 04.04.08 1020 EDT: An ANN News Spy sent us the following report from North Little Rock, AR, scene of a severe storm and tornado that touched down at North Little Rock Airport (KORK) Thursday night:

"... 12 hangers destroyed. [An airport tenant] with a new huge metal hanger said their planes are ok, [but] the door was blown in. Multiple hanger doors blown in, at least 25 planes badly damaged/destroyed. One plane on the fuel truck."

The witness adds KORK is presently closed due to a fuel leak. ANN is attempting to contact airport officials to verify, but has been unable to reach anyone as of yet. We imagine their hands are full...

0700 EDT: It's a mess in central Arkansas this morning. Aero-News has confirmed a number of aircraft parked at North Little Rock Airport (KORK) were damaged when strong storms and at least one tornado swept through the metropolitan area Thursday night.

An ANN News-Spy reports several aircraft parked on the ramp at KORK, "tied down or not," were blown across the ramp and overturned by the storm. Crews were unable to check inside some hangars due to continued storm warnings in the area.

Local news reports add a fuel truck was also overturned at the airport... and those aren't light.

National Weather Service forecasters -- who had to briefly evacuate their building near the airport due to the approaching storm -- report the tornado cut a path across the northern Little Rock area, between Benton and Bryant, according to KTHV-11. One witness described the damage as being akin to "a war zone."

ANN will continue to update this developing story as more information becomes available.

FMI: www.nlrairport.blogspot.com/