U.S.

Obama To Visit Arkansas, Survey Tornado Damage

President Obama will be visiting Arkansas Wednesday to take stock of the damage left by an EF4 tornado, which tore through the state last Sunday.

Obama To Visit Arkansas, Survey Tornado Damage
Twitter / @SenMarkPryor
SMS

President Obama is planning a visit to Arkansas after a deadly tornado ripped through the state last week.

The president will stop in Little Rock Wednesday to survey the damage caused by the EF4 twister that hit Arkansas Sunday. The tornado killed at least 15 people, wounded over 150 more and damaged hundreds of homes. (Via YouTube / Brian Emfinger)

Sunday's tornado was part of a larger storm system that devastated parts of the Midwest and South last weekend, killing dozens and causing millions of dollars of property damage. States from Oklahoma to Alabama suffered severe storms, flooding and tornados. (Via KFTA)

The Obama administration has already declared Arkansas' Faulkner County, which was hit hardest by the tornado, as a major disaster zone, qualifying it for federal disaster relief money. (Via FEMA)

Obama is visiting the state at the invitation of Democratic Senator Mark Pryor, who is facing a stiff challenge at the polls in November. Pryor has previously urged the president to expedite federal aid to the stricken Arkansas counties. (Via C-SPAN)

This will be Obama's first trip to Arkansas as president — he last visited the state in 2006 as a senator.