HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. — Update: On Friday, March 15, Saline County Judge Matt Brumley declared a Disaster Emergency Proclamation after an EF-2 tornado caused significant damage across Hot Springs Village in Saline & Garland counties.
Urban search and rescue teams are in the process of finishing up their efforts in the area.
Additionally, the Saline County Office of Emergency Management, Garland County Office of Emergency Management, and Arkansas Department of Emergency Management are collaborating on a damage assessment.
The National Weather Service Little Rock announced there was a confirmed EF-2 tornado near Hot Springs Village on Thursday evening.
There has been baseball-sized hail, downed power lines, and even some roofs that were torn off.
Garland County Judge Darryl Mahoney said there was some damage outside of Hot Springs Village to the Village Nutrition.
According to the Hot Springs Village General Manager, Kelly Hale, the extent of the damage is not completely known but he explained that there's damage on both the Garland and Saline County sides of the village.
The storms did knock down hundreds of trees and even caused some people to be stuck inside their vehicles but they have since been rescued and are safe.
He also explained that there are several outside agencies that have been assisting with emergency calls as well as helping clear the roads.
So far no significant injuries have been reported.
We will update this article with more information as soon as we know more.