At 4:04 a.m. on March 30, a tornado touched down near Malco Razorback theatre in Fayetteville and ripped a destructive course all the way to the Jones Center in Springdale. With winds between 136 and 165 mph, the National Weather Service in Tulsa reported that the tornado was a EF-3, and along its 5.2-mile path, it destroyed an estimated 400 homes and 25 businesses, according to Colby Fulfer, Springdale’s chief of staff. Thankfully, no one perished, but seven individuals received emergency medical care.
The tornado touched down 23 miles from the John Brown University campus. Many commuters to campus come from this area. Tornado watches and severe weather notifications are a regular part of life in tornado alley, but it is heartbreaking when a tornado touches down in an area that you know and love.
The cleanup effort began once the sun came up as things were more clearly observable. Many local businesses are offering help, free food, shelter and more. We want to see our community recover and thrive, so the remainder of the editorial is dedicated to resources in the area for those who might need help and ways to help for those who are able.
- Most importantly, the city of Springdale is requesting that residents report damage to their properties. An accurate measure of damage will allow the city to request funding and aid in the recovery effort. You can report over the phone, or on the city’s website, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- If affected or have had to leave your home, you can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to begin casework and get assistance.
- This Facebook group is a public community designed to provide support for the Springdale community. Members are contributing resources, fundraisers and experiences.
- Springdale residents can call Public Works at 479-750-8135 if they have debris that needs to be picking up.
- United Federal Credit Union has teamed up with American Red Cross to match all funds up to $5,000.
- Cross Church’s Compassion Center and Feed the 479 are providing food and clothing for those in need. Their address is 3157 W. Sunset, or you can reach them at 479-717-5662.
- Arisa Health/Ozark Guidance is offering free counseling for victims of the storm and you can reach them at 479-750-2020.
- The Springdale Public Library offers free Wi-Fi Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday through Saturday. This will allow displaced people who work from home to continue to work or students to continue their schoolwork.
- The Marshallese Educational Initiative is now accepting clothing, hygiene products and monetary donations. Springdale is home to the largest population of Marshallese outside of the Marshall Islands, so many of them were possibly affected by the tornado.
There are many more resources available, too many to list. The Northwest Arkansas area has long been known as being supportive of non-profits, and just last year, Siloam Springs and Fayetteville were designated “volunteer community of the year,” in 2021. We are calling upon our readers to join in the local effort to meet the needs of those affected by the tornado. We love where we live and we love our neighbors, so we pledge to help where and when we can.
Photo provided by Kira Mustonen-Kemock in the u local Arkansas Facebook group.