Be careful everyone! :pray:

TORNADO WARNING
Warning Issue Date: 742 PM CDT THU APR 09 2009


A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
SCOTT AND NORTHERN POLK COUNTIES...
AT 740 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO. THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LAKE WILHELMINA NEAR THE ROCKY COMMUNITY...
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE
HINKLE...Y CITY...WALDRON AND NOLA.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE COVER NOW! THIS IS A
DANGEROUS SITUTATION.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING
FOR WESTERN ARKANSAS. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL
200 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR ARKANSAS.
LAT...LON 3483 9445 3498 9371 3476 9371 3473 9380
3471 9382 3471 9386 3468 9387 3468 9392
3463 9393 3455 9446
TIME...MOT...LOC 0040Z 257DEG 36KT 3466 9441

A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
POLK COUNTY...

AT 811 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO DOING
DAMAGE IN THE CITY OF MENA. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE COVER NOW! THIS IS A
SERIOUS SITUATION

This sounds bad. Is everyone OK?

Mena just got the hell knocked out of it. Trees and power lines down everywhere, roads are blocked. Houses have been blown away, City Hall is destroyed.

I know that emergency persons were able to get through on HWY8W headed twards Oklahoma. I heard that the tornado started at the Lake, went through town, and it blew right past us here in Cherry Hill.

Just drove up mena street and from the OLT on is blocked. The old rock store (tv store) is gone. City Hall has damage and it looked up near MMS that their was damage. Lots of power lines down, and trees. Pretty bad.

Is anybody on here out by the Humane Society that could check to make sure the building is ok??/?

Please let us know if you are OK. My lord.....

We heard on the police scanner that the industrial section of Mena is gone, destroyed. US motors, etc., all gone.

Can anyone verify this? We have friends that live on 1st street a few blocks North of City hall that we cannot reach.

Here's what I've heard so far: damage in the US Motors/hospital area, damage at Acorn, damage in the Eagleton vicinity. Power lines are down everywhere and travel is next to impossible.

I drove through Wal-Mart and it is fine, as far as I could tell. I did not look at Motors however. There was some wind damage around Walmart but nothing major. Its more downtown main street and that area. Looked like the same are that was hit several years ago. My sister was at OLT and her windows in her car were blown out and things were falling from the ceiling. City Hall/Court House area was totally blocked off as well as the entire old part of town.

Has anybody heard damage reports out in the direction of the shelter? It's at the edge of town. I'm not really familiar with Mena, I think the idustrial area is on the other side of town.

Have you heard of injury reports and any deaths?

I have been told that all power is out in mena and it has sustained tremendous damage. I am out of town and am trying to get home to my family. :pray:

Im sorry, I guess I do not know where it is located or I could give you a general idea of how hard that area was hit.

Yes, 80% or more is out of power. Tornado hit along the same path as the last one.

1st street and Church is the area I'm concerned about right now, anyone know?

Scotto, give me an idea of something located near there.

New and like new shop, like the ad on top, is close by.

If its north of the tracks, it may have damage. I know where Church meets Mena street is totally blocked off. Im not sure where 1st street is from Mena street. If its w/in 3 blocks it may have damage.

Channel 7 reporting 12 minor injuries reported so far.

Thanks bud.

Of course if 80% of the power is off in town, there can't be too many people signing in here.

The funny thing is I left Ransom road about 5 minutes after it hit to go to OLT to check on family. The redlights at Wendy's and Movie Gallery were out. The red light at Mena and 71 was working and that is where the damage was. Does it have some kind of backup? I didn't see anything w/ lights in that area. Power was out at the High school too, but no damage. There were some trees down behind the old Wal Mart. I think alot of that was wind damage. Downtown was a tornado.

368 Polk 50 is where the Humane Society is...... South side of town.

Kark reporting apple size hail in SW mena. Just talked to friend out hwy 8 and they had baseball size hail. On Ransom road we had dime size hail.

KENA just reported damage at Hatfield and Potter so it looks like it came up 71. I think what your talking about is about 1/2 mile east of 71. Looks like it could be close.

They actually mentioned the tornado on the channel 6 news in Tulsa. They then mentioned the court house was damaged. Here's what I've gathered so far: damage to the city hall and court house, damage to Wal Mart and US Motors, damage along CR 74 north of Ink. The National Guard is headed to town. All natural gas lines going into the Mena area are going to be shut down. Sounds like a hellish time for sure.

100 MPH winds between Magnet Cove and Malvern with baseball size hail. Please take care anyone in that area.

Just talked to a friend that walked downtown. Lawyers offices badly damaged around the courthouse. Mena Middle School heavy damage.

Just came from northwest of ink lots of damage, trees down, trailer house blown away several chicken house with sever damage.

Any reports of any damage in Posey Hollow?

12 minor injuries. 5-6 trapped in a building. Tornado sirens went off twice. The first storm went north and they stopped the sirens for a few minutes. Then they started them again. If your families were in Mena, they did know it was coming. Lives were probably saved because of the sirens. I live off Ransom road (far side of town from where it hit) and could hear them loud and clear.

Reporting that National Guard coming to Mena, reporting the Court House is "destroyed", still reporting that there have been 12 injuries confirmed, also reporting that there is damage in DeQueen. All this from Channel 7

Ray B. Stanley was just on the radio saying street between radio station and Louis Durham. He said its the worst he has ever seen. Reporting 1 possible fatality. RMCC is damaged. Mena schools and RMCC are out tomorrow. Abernathy buidling roof is gone. Fire station roof gone. Industrial park is gone. Atwoods has damage. He is not sure about Louis Durham. Every tree in the court house and every window at the court house are gone.

Also reporting Fish Net was hit. Went straight up hwy 71. He saw tractors flying around at Gilcrest (he was sitting at Hillcrest). Spencer building at college also damaged. MMS teachers need to stay away from school right now. 26 blocks wide damage.

Anyone know if there is any damage along 71 by Century 21 and the Branding Iron area?

No, no damage there. I turned around at Century 21. It is all fine.

I went to WalMart right after it hit, and other than stuff blown around I didn't see damage, but evidently there was.

I didn't see any damage at wal mart either but it was dark with all the lights out.

Holly Springs road was hit hard. Mena Manor was damaged, but no injuries. residents will be transferred.