BenCo residents find community in wake of severe weather

Reagan Netherland
·3 min read

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — “Scary” was the word Judy Barnes, 80, and the rest of Benton County used to summarize this year’s Memorial Day weekend.

On May 25, a fast-moving supercell that had already produced tornadoes in Oklahoma entered Benton County around 1 a.m. and formed a funnel cloud over the western part of the county. Another storm quickly followed, and although it lacked enough rotation to be considered a tornado risk, it produced enough wind and hail to damage Benton County cities further.

Four hours after the storm left NWA, Benton County Judge Barry Moehring confirmed one person had been killed in the severe weather.

Benton County Judge Moehring confirms one death, declares disaster following severe weather

“The tornado hit us pretty bad,” Barnes, a Bentonville resident, said. “The wind especially.”

Judy Barnes, 80, stands in front of her tornado-damaged home in Bentonville. Her grandson’s truck sits hidden under the tree to the left.
Judy Barnes, 80, stands in front of her tornado-damaged home in Bentonville. Her grandson’s truck sits hidden under the tree to the left.

Barnes’ grandson Cody Vansickle and his wife, residents of Mountain Home, were staying with Barnes during the storms.

“[It] was very, very bright through the windows,” Vansickle said. “Then silent until it all just hit us.”

Barnes and the Vansickles, like many of their neighbors, spent the following morning inspecting the damages to the house and observing the debris blocking any access to their street.

PHOTOS: Aftermath of deadly storm, tornadoes in Benton County

Barnes’ American flag and flagpole, crushed beneath a fallen red oak. Memorial Day falls a day after the storms ripped through Northwest Arkansas.
Barnes’ American flag and flagpole, crushed beneath a fallen red oak. Memorial Day falls a day after the storms ripped through Northwest Arkansas.

“There was a gentleman, someone’s father-in-law, who helped us quite a bit,” Vansickle said. “The community has been here to help and just check on everyone.”

On Sunday morning, Bentonville residents Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, decided to extend a helping hand to their friends in a Centerton neighborhood.

“[We’re] just trying to get out here and help the community and cut up these trees,” Chris Block said.

The trio had been up since 2 a.m. by the time a KNWA writer got to the scene.

Deadly storms slam NWA

“After [the storm] was getting pretty bad at our house, we all just looked at each other and said ‘we have to make sure everyone else is okay,'” Gunner Block said.

While Chris Block and Little would use a chainsaw to break up the large trees, Gunner Block would haul the logs to be discarded.

  • Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, pose in front of a fallen tree. “We’re not doing it for ourselves,” Gunner Block said.
    Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, pose in front of a fallen tree. “We’re not doing it for ourselves,” Gunner Block said.
  • Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, help clear a street in Centerton.
    Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, help clear a street in Centerton.
  • Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, help clear a street in Centerton.
    Charlie Little, 72, Chris Block, 47 and Gunner Block, 20, help clear a street in Centerton.

“You don’t see people willing to sacrifice their own time to help each other a whole lot,” Gunner Block said. “I don’t want people to sit hurt because EMS can’t get to them because of something like this.”

More severe weather is projected for tonight, May 26. Stay with KNWA for the latest updates.

At least 15 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.