Severe Storms Sweep Through Hot Springs, Damage Downtown
By: Josh Berry
Updated: September 14, 2012
A line of strong storms pushed through the Natural State Sunday (8/5), leaving a path of damage behind.
One of the hardest hit places in downtown Hot Springs was the Austin Hotel.
From the street you could see a hole blown through the side of the building.
A lot of damage like this spread across downtown.
People claimed there were minor injuries but neither the city or police department has officially confirmed that for us.
If that was the case it may be fortunate considering how folks described what they saw.
Hunter Gonzales was blown away by the magnitude of the storm.
He said, "We've never seen anything like it before, I mean it was nuts."
From the get-go he knew this storm meant business.
"I started to see the winds coming and I'm like get back inside! Get back inside!"
The storm threw a potted plant off a roof, down the street, and slammed it 20 feet high into the wall of a historic theater.
The National Weather Service said it was all just from straight line winds. Those who were in the middle of it however, felt like it was more, claiming it was a tornado.
"That's the scaredest I've ever been in my life," said Peggy Goss.
From inside her car, all Goss could see was debris, trees and even an air conditioner unit tossed like a doll into the middle of the street. Her and her husband literally rode the storm out.
"He couldn't move the vehicle... he could not actually move."
Public Works labored throughout the evening to clear out debris and downed trees from the streets.
Some of the worst damage was at the Regions Bank building.
"The window was blown out," said Superior Senior Care VP, Daniel Disney. "Pretty much everything inside the office was destroyed."
Now they, along with the city and everyone else affected by the storm, are left to assess what happened and figure out how they'll move forward.
Disney added, "It's definitely going to change tomorrow's (Monday, 8/6) operations."
One of the hardest hit places in downtown Hot Springs was the Austin Hotel.
From the street you could see a hole blown through the side of the building.
A lot of damage like this spread across downtown.
People claimed there were minor injuries but neither the city or police department has officially confirmed that for us.
If that was the case it may be fortunate considering how folks described what they saw.
Hunter Gonzales was blown away by the magnitude of the storm.
He said, "We've never seen anything like it before, I mean it was nuts."
From the get-go he knew this storm meant business.
"I started to see the winds coming and I'm like get back inside! Get back inside!"
The storm threw a potted plant off a roof, down the street, and slammed it 20 feet high into the wall of a historic theater.
The National Weather Service said it was all just from straight line winds. Those who were in the middle of it however, felt like it was more, claiming it was a tornado.
"That's the scaredest I've ever been in my life," said Peggy Goss.
From inside her car, all Goss could see was debris, trees and even an air conditioner unit tossed like a doll into the middle of the street. Her and her husband literally rode the storm out.
"He couldn't move the vehicle... he could not actually move."
Public Works labored throughout the evening to clear out debris and downed trees from the streets.
Some of the worst damage was at the Regions Bank building.
"The window was blown out," said Superior Senior Care VP, Daniel Disney. "Pretty much everything inside the office was destroyed."
Now they, along with the city and everyone else affected by the storm, are left to assess what happened and figure out how they'll move forward.
Disney added, "It's definitely going to change tomorrow's (Monday, 8/6) operations."
