Storms hit Pea Ridge shortly after midnight Tuesday, April 2, leaving a line of damage and some residents without electrical power.
About 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Caleb Marsten said he heard a loud howling noise and tried to look outside as the wind was blowing the doors open.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there was a small tornado," Marsten said.
The National Weather Service on Wednesday, April 3, issued a statement that "a bowing segment of a squall line produced wind damage across much of Pea Ridge ... trees were uprooted or even snapped in places from the west side of town toward the west side of the Pea Ridge National Military Park. The trees were all blown down to the east or east-northeast. Two tornadoes developed on the leading edge of this bowing line segment near Garfield."
Two tornados were reported north of U.S. Highway 62 over the far southeastern portion of the Pea Ridge National Military Park and moved "east damaging the roof of two homes, destroying an outbuilding and uprooting trees on Alvin Seamster Road," according to the NWS. "Tree damage was noted as far east as Pinebrooke Road and the tornado dissipated before reaching Hwy. 62."
A second tornado "developed overthe northeastern side of Pea Ridge National Military Park, northwest of Elkhorn Tavern. It moved east-northeast uprooting numerous trees on N. Old Wire Road and Limekiln Road" and dissipated east of Limekiln Road."
Both tornados were classified as EF1 with peak wind speeds of 90 to 100 miles per hour.
Strong winds hit Pea Ridge along a line from Arkansas Highway 72 west of town near It'll Do Road and ran east, northeast up It'll Do Road, east along Hazelton Road, and then along Patton Street and the neighborhood north of Patton Street.
School traffic to the Primary, Middle and Junior High Schools which are immediately west of the major damage, had to reroute as two primary east-west routes -- Patton and McCulloch streets -- were closed.
School superintendent Keith Martin said the bus route for the area north of Windmill Estates along Van Dorn, McCulloch, Hoffman and Patton streets would not be able to run.
Before dawn, crews from both Southwestern Electric Power Company and Carroll Electric were on site repairing damage.
By daybreak, garage door repairmen were assessing damage at several houses.
One area resident said he heard a bang and discovered his neighbor's trampoline had hit the side of his house. He woke his family and got them safely inside an interior room.
Bethany Harvey said a tree hit her house. The roof and ceiling were damaged and rain leaked into her house.
"About 12:35 we heard a loud rumble and a tree hit the house," Harvey said.
David Dickey said his neighbor's porch canopy and frame blew into his yard.
"Compared to my neighbors, I would say minor," Dickey said of the damage to his home.
Crews from the city Street, Police and Fire departments were dispatched immediately to areas along a line running east, northeast from It'll Do Road west of town, along Hazelton Road to Patton Street and as far east as Greer Street on the east side of town.
Trees and tree limbs were down on streets, houses, sheds and vehicles. Electric power poles were broken with some live power lines were on the ground. There were also reports of damage to a gas line and some street signs were damaged.
There were no injuries reported.
Crews began working soon after 1 a.m. and continued throughout the morning.
Street Department superintendent Monte Keene said numerous streets were closed initially because of trees down. As trees were removed, streets remained closed for the safety of utility company crews to work.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Annette Beard/Pea Ridge TIMES
Storms hit Pea Ridge between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, leaving trees down, trampolines and canopies blown to neighboring yards and power lines across streets. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.