The cleanup continues and insurance claims are being processed after a powerful storm hit parts of Pike County on Saturday, April 25, with gusting winds, large hail and heavy rain. It was part of a broader series of storms that impacted Arkansas over the span of a week.

Extensive damage occurred that night as trees were uprooted, power poles broke and hail shattered car windows. Many homes sustained damage to the roofs and sidings with tarps put in place until repairs could be completed. 

A tree fell on the parsonage at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Glenwood. No one was injured and services the following day were cancelled with the church’s Facebook page saying it was without electricity and that the tree needed to be cleared. 

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 8:45 p.m. for northeastern Pike County, along with parts of Clark, Garland, Hot Spring and Montgomery counties, saying two inch-sized hail and 60 mile-per-hour winds were expected. Another severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 10:52 p.m. for southeastern Pike County along with parts of Clark and Ouachita counties. 

The sound of chainsaws echoed through the city Sunday morning as people began working to remove trees, fallen limbs and other storm debris. The city announced on Monday that brush could be taken to the wooded area behind the Glenwood Industrial Park. That’s only a temporary location, the city posted on Facebook, and was intended to prevent dumpsters from being filled with the debris. Household-related trash could be taken to a dumpster located behind the water treatment plant.

Other nearby communities were also hard-hit by the storm. In the following days, subsequent rounds of storms moved through Arkansas. The National Weather Service reported a tornado likely caused property damage on Monday night near Mountain Home in Stone County. Crews were planning to inspect damage to confirm whether a tornado did touch down, but said that was the clear indication by radar. 

It’s hoped the rainfall that accompanied the storms will improve dry conditions that had been plaguing the state in recent months. As of April 23, the U.S. Drought Monitor categorized Pike County as being in an extreme drought.