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Nine years later: Looking back at Arkansas tornado that killed 16 people

April 27, 2023, marks the ninth anniversary of the devastating EF-4 tornado that ripped Central Arkansas. The storm killed 16 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

VILONIA, Arkansas — April 27, 2023, marks the ninth anniversary of the devastating EF-4 tornado that ripped through Central Arkansas, hitting cities like Vilonia and Mayflower.

16 people were killed that night as hundreds of homes and businesses were turned into rubble.

The Valley Church was one of those places decimated.

"At about 3:30 in the morning, the fire chief called me, and he was one of the guys that was a part of our church, and he said, 'Man that whole building... the whole church is just not there,'" Matt Rothacher said.

The structure church was destroyed, but it didn't stop people from coming together to pray and pick up the pieces.

Days after the storm, Arkansans were joined by people from all over the country in recovery efforts.

"In the worst of conditions, you see the best of human nature," Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson said.

Allen Dodson had just been appointed the Faulkner County Judge at the time of the tornado in 2014.

He and the county prepared several days in advance for the potential severity of the storm, but no one knew just how much damage it would soon create.

It's an all too familiar scene.

Dodson looks back on the ninth anniversary of the tornado just as Central Arkansas recovers from the most recent tornado that ravaged Little Rock, North Little Rock and Jacksonville on March 31.

"There are a lot of people out there who are with them in their thoughts and prayers and certainly anyone who has been affected by a tornado," Judge Dodson said.

And the church that was once rubble and debris is now once again standing. 

It's now The Summit Church and it has a new location in Vilonia. It serves as a reminder of the hope and love that can come from the darkest of days.

"There is a brighter future afterward," Rothacher said. "You will be able to rebuild, you will be able to regrow, you will be able to put on your 'Arkansas Strong' shirt and go to work. Love on those that are nearby and serve people that maybe you didn't know even beforehand, and be willing to give deeply and love big."

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