Towards the end of April 2014, a tornado outbreak in the central and southern United States produced many long truck tornadoes of which seven were deadly and thirty-five which caused fatalities. Another misery occurred in Florida because of the flooding which was associated with the system. The outbreak was the first major event to occur in United States in 2014.
Damages caused by the April 2014 tornados
The April 2014 Tornado Outbreak affected a wide area in United States; this is from Nebraska to Louisiana, Illinois to Florida, and Oklahoma to North Carolina. The system really affected many people in United States. The first significant tornado of the outbreak touched down over an open field at around 5:29 pm towards the Southwest of Quapaw and caused damage to a ranch. It also caused minor damages to homes and also trees falling. The Tornado outbreak struck the town of Quapaw and as a result the local fire station was greatly destroyed, some homes, buildings were carried away from their foundations. The two people who were seeking shelter in their car were also struck.
Impact of the tornados
In northeastern Arkansas into Southern Missouri many areas received more rain than expected during the evening hours of April 27, with a maximum of 190mm falling near Batesville. There was a lot of flooding as a result and many roads were submerged. Some counties in Missouri like Dunklin were badly affected and it forced the residents to evacuate. April Tornado outbreak also caused two rounds of severe weather along the Alabama -Tennessee border which as a result caused a flash flooding. Many areas experienced over 100mm within 48hours, with others recording more. There was a lot of rain which caused a widespread of flash flooding in many counties, causing rivers to surge to a near record level. The official National Weather Service rain gauge for Pensacola Regional Airport was also struck by lightning and lost power during the event
Recovery after the tornados
One of the ways to recover from the Tornado outbreak was to evacuate the homes and buildings which were flash flooded. In some areas residents were forced to seek refuge in their attics as water rose. Meterologists happened to use radar data and they estimated that station to receive 395mm marking the greatest single day rainfall total on record at the site. Due to flooding which was pathetic, numerous roads around the region were temporary closed. In Alabama 100 National Guard troops were called upon to assist the communities. Following the damages caused by tornadoes, later the state of emergency was declared for Mississipi. Governor Rick Cott declared a state of emergency for twenty six counties in the wake of the severe flooding in Florida. State Medical Assistance Teams were sent to Tupelo and Winston County while the truck for supplying was sent to Winston County. In addition, on April 29 Faulkner county, Arkansas was also declared a federal disaster area by President Barack Obama This was to allow community to receive federal aid and low-cost loan in order for them to recover their losses.
