The trail of damage caused by a tornado in northeast Crawford County on Friday afternoon provoked a widespread response to the area Saturday.
The tornado, which tore through the Mountainburg area shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, destroyed a handful of structures, damaged tens of others and caused hundreds to lose their power, Crawford County Emergency Management Director Brad Thomas said. As a result of this damage, volunteers and first responders traveled miles to relieve the mountainside town of about 700 on Saturday.
“People are helping from other areas of Crawford County, and even further out,” Mountainburg Police Chief Vincent Clamser said.
160 structures damaged, over 2,000 without power,
The tornado, which was confirmed as an EF-2 by National Weather Service officials Saturday, developed during a line of severe weather that moved through the River Valley on Friday afternoon.