Arkansas, local officials mark anniversary of tornadoes that killed four and destroyed homes

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas and local officials hailed the response from emergency workers, community groups and individuals on Friday as they marked the one-year anniversary of tornadoes that tore through the state and killed four people.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited a title company in Little Rock and a church in Jacksonville that were damaged by a tornado tore through the area. Five tornadoes hit the state on March 31, including two EF-3 tornadoes that devastated central and east Arkansas. Four people died in Wynne, located 91 miles (147 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock.

Sanders praised the response from community groups and individuals around Arkansas who assisted in the hours and days after the tornadoes alongside state and local authorities. Federal, state and local agencies have estimated the tornadoes caused between $70 million to $90 million in damage to public infrastructure, according to the state Department of Emergency Management.

“Everyone with a moment to spare was outside the next day helping to pick up debris,” Sanders said outside Pulaski County Title with local officials, police and firefighters. “I have never been more proud to call myself an Arkansan.”

The tornado destroyed Wynne High School, and students there have been attending classes at a temporary campus while a permanent replacement is being built.

In Little Rock’s Walnut Valley neighborhood, work continues on many homes damaged or destroyed by the tornado. The neighborhood and city officials plan to mark the tornado’s anniversary on Saturday by planting a seedling donated by the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

“We showed that we will be united together and show our true unity and resilience together,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said.