Tornado strikes Earle in Crittenden Co.

[bubbaearle]

At approximately 3:25 pm a tornado struck Earle.

Initial reports have numerous homes destroyed. Earle Industries (the city's largest employer) suffered massive damage to their building - probably a plant closing event for that struggling company.

Crittenden Co. is calling this a Mass Casualty event and are asking for disaster declaration. I have heard a request for more law enforcement to come into the area as there are reports of looting beginning to occur in damaged homes.

Fire and rescue units from West Memphis, Marion, Parkin, Wynne and as far away as Forrest City have been called it to assist in the rescue & recovery efforts. The West Memphis PD mobile command unit as well as the St. Francis County mobile unit are on scene.

Highway 64 seems to be shut down and a command post has been set up at the intersection of US 64 & AR 149 in the Mad Butcher parking lot.

[Gatorman]

Hearing traffic regarding Earle on 153.53, Crittenden County SO.

[Gatorman]

Looking for active channels that anyone might be hearing in Crittenden County/Earle, AR.

Thanks

[Gatorman]

Crittenden County SO main dispatch. Also now hearing Crittenden County Search and Rescue on their listed freq.

[bubbaearle]

I'm still on President's Island - at work - have been broadcasting my PSR500 over a set of loudspeakers for a group of us here.

The following is formatted for Win500:

Crittenden SO 153.530000 FM DCS 754
Marion PD/SO 856.662500 FM DCS 226
Marion FD 154.145000 FM CTCSS 156.7
Crittenden SAR 154.205000 FM DCS 172
W Memphis FD 154.175000 FM CTCSS 173.8
Earle PD 155.595000 FM CTCSS 77.0
Earle FD 156.195000 FM CTCSS 77.0

Crittenden SO Group 20201

Hearing numerous traffic on ADEM statewide TGIDs.....

Mutual Aid Call Group 2601 0
ADEM Statewide 1 Group 2659 39
ADEM Statewide 2 Group 2661 0

ADEM Northeast 1 Group 2703 0
ADEM Northeast 2 Group 2705 0
ADEM Northeast 3 Group 2707 0
ADEM Northeast 4 Group 2709 0
ADEM Northeast 5 Group 2711 0

My brother is a part-time police officer in Earle on weekends......spotted tornado as it formed and was among first to respond to the scene. He states there are numerous injuries - some critical.

He says there are a lot of looters in several specific homes of local business owners - seems as if these are being targeted.

I have heard numerous calls from the ambulances to area hospitals - some transported to the MED.

Incident commander just called in all LEOs to meet for patrol assigments.....curfew from 7pm - 7am.

I talked to my father-in-law as the twister was on the ground - he lives on AR Hwy 149 north of Earle - he saw it as it moved away from Earle traveling NW toward Gilmore/Turrell, he said it was huge....he had no damage where he was at.

[btritch]

This area was also massively hit!! Mississippi county was the worst county hit in the state!! There were 7 people killed in arkansas massive storms on Friday Afternoon..