‘Scariest moment of my life’ EF-2 tornado flips Garland County home

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A hug from mother to son almost did not happen Wednesday because of an EF-2 tornado that flipped Dennis Erwin’s and Michaella Morris’s world upside down.

“There was nothing going on in (my head) here except, ‘Oh my gosh. This is the scariest moment in my life,’” Morris said.

Their trailer rolled crushing their neighbor’s cars, almost crushing them, but a phone call from Dennis Erwin’s mother gave them a moment to get to their tub.

“As soon as we got our bearings, we were all over the place,” Morris said.

“I’m just surprised nobody was hurt,” Haylee Streetman said.

Haylee, her mother and her father, Ricky Streetman, also live in the trailer community off Thunder Road.

Ricky Streetman’s home video caught the moment when everything spun. He said debris flew for about a minute. Some metal went into his wife’s leg, sending them to a surprisingly empty emergency room.

When the family was asked what they attribute the lack of death and injury to, they answered in one word: God.

Inside town stories like theirs spread like a storm. Sidney Cockrel lives near the Harps store on Central Avenue surrounded by ripped roofs, snapped trees and debris.

“I got up came out and looked at the damage, and it’s bad,” Cockrel said. “Nothing we can do but wait and clean it up.”

Help from above and around Hot Springs is ensuring whatever nature tears apart, Arkansans can put back together, as long as what’s irreplaceable is kept safe.

“It’s more important to have things ready to know what to do to have a plan because we did not have one,” Morris advised.

More severe weather is expected across much of Arkansas on Wednesday night. To make sure you are staying up-to-date with the forecast, download the Arkansas Storm Team app to get updates anywhere at any time.

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