Remembering the Mayflower/Vilonia, AR Tornado of 4/27/14

[Robert Forry]

I meant to post this yesterday, but the site was totally wacked out.

I heard and saw a lot yesterday about our generational Outbreak from four years ago, but I believe the EF4 that tore through central AR claimed the most lives of any storm in the U.S. last year.

The NWS site at LZK has a pretty good summary of the event here: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/?n=svr0414cyr.htm

 

[Tim Paitz]

Yeah, the tornado killed 16 people in all, the deadliest of 2014. While there were homes that were swept clean off their foundations, the fact that just about all the homes that were destroyed were constructed with nails rather than anchor bolts may have been the reason why it wasn't given an EF-5 rating.

 

[Michael R.]

Very hard to read the stories in the article, it really hits you hard to know people suffered such tragic loss.

 

[Robert Forry]

We were very concerned for our friends in the LR area that night, and for a few days after when we weren't seeing any FB or Twitter posts. Turns out they were being good citizens and helping their friends dig out.

 

[Michael R.]

Yes, people in LR really stepped up in helping one another, it was awesome to see.

 

[kmreid]

It was horrible. I went to Mayflower a week or so after it happened so I could help however I could (you feel a degree of helplessness no matter what you do), and even then, you could still see how absolutely stunned everyone was. It was heart wrenching.

I remember watching the radar the night that it happened and I felt ill to my stomach when I saw it. I will never forget it. You never want to see something like that hit a populated area.