Community Cleanup Underway After Storm Rips Through Clarendon
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: October 18, 2012
As severe storms pounded central and eastern Arkansas Wednesday evening, the Monroe County town of Clarendon experienced widespread power outages and heavy damage to some buildings.
With most of the town without power for much of the night, several community members drove around town trying to offer help as best they could.
On South 5th St. off of Highway 79, metal awnings from a building were ripped off and tossed across the street, and trees were downed, including one that hit a Clarendon video store just moments after the owner, Denise Davenport, left.
Davenport told KARK 4 News she left after friends called her and told her the storm was approaching. Shortly afterward, she says she heard the city's weather sirens sound.
"I just panicked, and I just closed the store because I'm normally there until 10 at night, and it was just like the Lord kept saying 'go home, go home,'" Davenport told KARK's Brittney Johnson, "I just closed up everything as fast as I could and went home and then I got a call from the sheriff's department that it had hit the store."
Davenport also credits the support from the community for keeping her safe in a dangerous situation.
"[T]he community has pulled together, everyone from all around is coming out to help us save what we can save, and do what we can do, and try to secure the place as best we can," Davenport said, "I just thank the community of Clarendon for all their love and support."
Law enforcement tells KARK they haven't seen any injuries in Clarendon following the storm. Crews continue working to fully restore power to the city.
With most of the town without power for much of the night, several community members drove around town trying to offer help as best they could.
On South 5th St. off of Highway 79, metal awnings from a building were ripped off and tossed across the street, and trees were downed, including one that hit a Clarendon video store just moments after the owner, Denise Davenport, left.
Davenport told KARK 4 News she left after friends called her and told her the storm was approaching. Shortly afterward, she says she heard the city's weather sirens sound.
"I just panicked, and I just closed the store because I'm normally there until 10 at night, and it was just like the Lord kept saying 'go home, go home,'" Davenport told KARK's Brittney Johnson, "I just closed up everything as fast as I could and went home and then I got a call from the sheriff's department that it had hit the store."
Davenport also credits the support from the community for keeping her safe in a dangerous situation.
"[T]he community has pulled together, everyone from all around is coming out to help us save what we can save, and do what we can do, and try to secure the place as best we can," Davenport said, "I just thank the community of Clarendon for all their love and support."
Law enforcement tells KARK they haven't seen any injuries in Clarendon following the storm. Crews continue working to fully restore power to the city.
