Severe weather slams Arkansas

Severe weather across Arkansas killed at least seven people, destroyed homes, spawned tornadoes and left nearly 67,000 customers without power, police said. In Poplar Bluff, Mo., police said levees along the Black River were holding after the area received 5 inches of rain Monday, KFVS-TV, Cape Girardeau, Mo., reported. Police Lt. Lieutenant Dave Sutton said emergency personnel were cautiously optimistic Tuesday about flood control measures, despite reports of between 35 and 40 spots where water was leaking. He said water patrol personnel conducted 59 rescues overnight but no injuries were reported. In Arkansas, police blamed the stormy weather for the deaths of seven people, CNN reported. Three of the victims were swept away by rising waters in two separate incidents, police said. Tornadoes around Little Rock Air Force resulted in two minor injuries and damage to aircraft at the base, spokesman Bob Oldham said. A tornado, one of several that slammed the state Monday, also damaged at least 16 homes and knocked out power to parts of the base. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, who plans to survey affected areas Tuesday, declared a state of emergency Monday night "in response to the severe storms and flooding that have impacted Arkansas and are expected to continue in the coming days," a statement posted on Beebe's Web site said. The declaration was retroactive to include storms that began on April 19. Fayetteville, Ark., resident Steve Wilkes told CNN rain fell virtually non-stop for several days. "I've lived here for more than 20 years. I've never seen anything like this in my life," Wilkes said. "I saw water 2 to 3 feet deep across roadways that have never flooded." The National Weather Service in north Little Rock temporarily closed its operations Monday as severe weather moved near its location, KUAR-FM, Little Rock, reported. The weather service facility in Memphis issued warnings while the Little Rock facility was down. In west Little Rock, hail the size of a marble and a quarter was reported. KUAR said Highway 64 near Vilonia was closed after being damaged by a tornado reportedly stretching up to a half-mile wide.