Large tornado moves through Jonesboro, AR; damage reported

news image
Top Stories
28 Mar 2020 5:44 PM
A large tornado moved through Jonesboro, Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, leaving behind a trail of widespread damage and at least six injuries. This was part of a wide swath of severe weather on Saturday, stretching from Oklahoma and Arkansas all the way up to Illinois and Iowa. But the main story was a large destructive tornado that moved through the city of Jonesboro late on Saturday afternoon. Here's a look at the tornado, which moved through central Jonesboro around 5 p.m. CDT on Saturday: https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1244023724984037384?s=20 https://twitter.com/MadisonBlaire12/status/1244031581750276098?s=20 Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson tweeted on Saturday that there had been reported property damage in the Jonesboro area due to the tornado. https://twitter.com/AsaHutchinson/status/1244033492624777216?s=20 Six minor injuries were reported from the tornado, according to the Jonesboro Police Department. Extensive damage was reported in the central and northern sides of the city. https://twitter.com/WXAaronJC/status/1244062987125751808?s=20 The radar presentation from the Jonesboro tornado clearly showed the large, damaging tornado as it moved through the city. Below, you can see the radar presentation as . The two most significant parts from the image below are the bottom left and the top right portions of the image. In the top right part of the quad box, you can see the bright greens (winds moving towards the radar site) meeting the bright reds (winds moving away from it) in a short space and distance. That shows fast-moving winds converging in a small area, indicating unusually strong rotation and a likely tornado. In the bottom left, notice a distinct blue spot just northeast of Jonesboro. That blue dot is the radar picking up debris being lofted up into the air, known as a debris ball. At least 12 tornadoes had been reported nationwide as of Saturday afternoon, including four in Iowa and one in Illinois. That's based on preliminary reports from the Storm Prediction Center. https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1244032243326050304?s=20 today Reports Graphic Make sure you have a way to get weather warnings, particularly after sunset as overnight storms could be a hazard across parts of the Midwest overnight into Sunday morning. For more specifics on the forecast, meteorologist Shelly Lindblade dives into the details here. Image Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on this dangerous severe weather outbreak.
All Weather News
More
Early Taste of Summer Heat Expands Across the East Coast

Early Taste of Summer Heat Expands Across the East Coast

A big warmup is taking hold across the easter

18 May 2026 10:40 PM
MODERATE Risk (Level 4/5) for Severe Weather

MODERATE Risk (Level 4/5) for Severe Weather

Forecast OutlooksA widespread severe weather

18 May 2026 10:30 PM
Spring: Frost Alerts Post Winter Alerts in High Country

Spring: Frost Alerts Post Winter Alerts in High Country

ROCKIES - Winter alerts remain in place acros

18 May 2026 10:25 PM
Extreme Fire Danger Causes Thousands of Acres Burned

Extreme Fire Danger Causes Thousands of Acres Burned

Numerous fires have been burning from the pan

18 May 2026 10:00 PM
Severe Storms Leave Trail of Destruction on the Plains

Severe Storms Leave Trail of Destruction on the Plains

A potent setup, fueled by record hot temperat

18 May 2026 5:26 PM
Saturday Severe Storms; Midwest to the Ohio Valley

Saturday Severe Storms; Midwest to the Ohio Valley

Scattered severe storms have been moving thro

17 May 2026 2:30 AM
Hurricane Season Begins in the Eastern Pacific, Atlantic Soon To Follow

Hurricane Season Begins in the Eastern Pacific, Atlantic Soon To Follow

Ready for hurricane season? As a reminder, wa

16 May 2026 1:30 AM