Latest news with #LonokeSheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tornado damages cemetery in Lonoke County
LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. – Community members in Lonoke County are picking up the pieces after a portion of the Sixteenth Section Cemetery was destroyed in the path of an EF-1 tornado on Easter Sunday. The Lonoke Sheriff's Office said that on Sunday at around 7 p.m., they got reports of tornado damage in the area of the Sixteenth Section community. 'It's a disaster,' Lonoke County community cleans up damage from Sunday tornado There were no injuries or deaths, but there was reported damage to the cemetery, power lines, homes and other structures. Jacque Sumler, the groundskeeper for the cemetery, said many of her family members are buried there. Some of their burial sites are in the hardest hit areas of the cemetery, where large trees toppled over. 'It's all near and dear to all of our hearts, and it just killed us,' Sumler said. Sumler said for decades she and her husband have taken care of the burial sites, which some date back to the 1800s. Her thoughts are not just on her family that was impacted by the damage, but others as well. 'There's been several families already out here picking up sticks, doing what they can, of course,' Sumler said. 'Some of the monuments are so heavy to pick up.' Sumler said people from the community are working together to clean up some of the damage and help the cemetery recover, which she is grateful for. She said it's a place that brings peace. 'From seeing my parents, my grandparents, people I know, to people I grew up with, it is just a nice feeling to let them know they haven't been forgotten, and they are being taken care of,' she said. National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado during Sunday storm Sumler said, despite all of the damage, they will recover and fix the cemetery to how it was before. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘It's a disaster,' Lonoke County community cleans up damage from Sunday tornado
LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. – On Monday, the National Weather Service in Little Rock confirmed an EF-1 tornado as wide as five football fields touched down in Lonoke County Sunday night. The Lonoke Sheriff's Office said that on Sunday at around 7 p.m., they got reports of tornado damage in the area of the 16th Section community. There were no injuries or deaths, but there was reported damage to the cemetery, power lines, homes and other structures. National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado during Sunday storm Sherry Berry said she has lived in her home for decades, but was terrified when she could feel her home shaking and hear the wind from the tornado. 'I guess maybe that's why they say it was like a train,' Berry said. 'We closed the door to our bedroom and heard a big bang, and that was a tree coming down. The tree came down in the middle of Berry's home, crushing her kitchen. Living next to Berry is fourth-generation cattle farmer Regina Heffner. She and her family are having to pick up the pieces of scrap metal that were scattered across their land after damage to a barn roof. 'We have about 30 acres. The tornado took the roof off of our barn up here, so there's tin as far as you could see,' Heffner said. National Weather Service confirms tornado hit west side of Fayetteville She also says they have to fix the damage to their home, cars, other bars and even their large grain bins. 'It had a lot of force behind it because those are bolted into concrete into the ground,' Heffner said. 'It sounds like it's going to be really expensive.' For Tarci Cates, she said it's overwhelming looking at the fallen tree limbs around her 'We worked so hard to get where we are,' Cates said. National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado in Saline County As many continue to clean up, they said they are thankful they are unharmed and hope they can recover from the damage as soon as possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
