Tornado updates: ‘Significant’ injuries reported in Little Rock
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What you need to know about sheltering when there is a tornado threat
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A significant tornado outbreak is underway in the South and Midwest, as more than 28 million people are under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.
A confirmed, “catastrophic” tornado has already moved through the metro area of Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the NWS.
A tornado emergency had been issued for metro Little Rock, Arkansas, Friday afternoon, due to the threat of a damaging tornado and quarter-sized hail.
Capt. Jacob Lear-Sadowsky with the Little Rock Fire Department told ABC News that there are a “significant” number of injuries from the storm but did not have a number at this time.
One hospital told ABC News that it is on standby for a potential “influx of patients” but did not have a number of those admitted yet.
Damage is centered in West Little Rock, where “multiple structures,” both commercial and residential, have been destroyed, Lear-Sadowsky said. Power lines and trees are also downed and cars have been flipped over due to the storm.
The city of Little Rock urged on Twitter that residents should “remain in their homes” so emergency personnel can get to work.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there was “significant damage” in Central Arkansas due to the storm.
“Arkansans must continue to stay weather aware as storms are continuing to move through,” she tweeted.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said he has requested National Guard assistance from the governor for the tornado emergency.
The tornado emergency comes as rare high-risk tornado warnings have been issued Friday for parts of six states — Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee — as a major storm leaves millions in the Heartland at risk for severe weather, including potentially violent, long-track tornadoes.
Areas at risk of strong tornadoes include St. Louis; Davenport, Iowa; Peoria, Illinois; Paducah, Kentucky; Memphis, Tennessee; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Tupelo, Mississippi.
Strong, long-track tornadoes could develop from Iowa to Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi Friday evening.
A “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” was located around 5:13 p.m. local time near Earle, Arkansas, west of Memphis, moving east at 50 mph, the NWS said.
Among those at risk for tornadoes is an area that was hit by deadly storms last weekend. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited one of those locations — Rolling Fork, Mississippi — on Friday.
“Jill and I are here to show our support,” Biden said during remarks in the town on Friday, standing amid the destruction. “I know there’s a lot of pain and it’s hard to believe in a moment like this, this community’s going to be rebuilt, and rebuilt back better than it was before.”
Nearly two dozen people were killed in the storms.
MORE: South reels from deadly tornado outbreak as new storm takes aim in the West
In addition to tornadoes, damaging winds and huge hail are possible with Friday’s storms. The expanse of this severe weather stretches from Lufkin, Texas, to Milwaukee and as far east as Nashville, Tennessee and Cincinnati. The storm system moves into the Northeast on Saturday with some severe weather possible for Pennsylvania and upstate New York and even northern New Jersey. Damaging winds will be the biggest threat for the Northeast.
There is a wintry part to this storm, with blizzard warnings issued for South Dakota and Minnesota, where more than half a foot of snow and 45 mph wind gusts are possible. Whiteout conditions are expected. A winter storm warning stretches from Nebraska to Minneapolis and into Wisconsin and Michigan, where more than a foot of snow is possible.
ABC News’ Jianna Cousin, Matt Foster and Robinson Perez contributed to this report.