WYNNE, Ark. — Four people are confirmed dead in Wynne, Arkansas due to powerful tornadoes that damaged the town Friday night, according to Cross County Coroner, Eli Long.
28 people were injured in the storms and taken to CrossRidge Hospital in Wynne, ABC News confirmed with the hospital's associate administrator Brian Mattes.
The town's emergency crews are still performing search and rescue operations Saturday morning and they will continue to assess the already significant damages to homes and to infrastructure.
Wynne announced a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on the Wynne City Hall Facebook page and asked that people not be on the streets unless "absolutely necessary."
Wynne Public Schools also announced that they will be closed from Monday April 3 to Friday April 7. They ask that, for everyone's safety, that people remain off campuses with the exception of lunches and dinners that will be provided at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. respectively.
Much of the Mid-South was under a rare level 5 out of 5 risk for severe weather. The area has not been under a severe weather risk this high since 2011.
Strong storms continued to move throughout the area into the early morning hours of April 1. Multiple tornado warnings were issued for parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi and several tornadoes were visually confirmed by trained spotters.
The storms also hit Covington, Tennessee, where Tipton County Schools confirmed significant damage to Crestview Elementary and Middle Schools, and the Tipton County Hospital. Damage to infrastructure, including power lines, made some of the roads leading to Covington impassable Friday night, according to the Covington Police Department Facebook page.
Covington Mayor Jan Hensley said on his Facebook page that, for now, people can "help by staying out of the way".
An emergency shelter in Covington has been set up for displaced families at the Covington Park and Recreation Sportsplex, 790 Bert Johnson Road.