Tornadoes tear through Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi and Tennessee

At least one person is dead in North Little Rock, Arkansas, after a tornado hit the area on Friday, Madeline Roberts, a Pulaski County spokesperson, confirmed to CNN.

There are at least 50 hospitalizations due to the tornado in Pulaski County as well, but they “expect more,” Roberts said.

Correction: An earlier version of this post gave an incorrect title for Madeline Roberts.

Severe storms have downed power lines and trees and caused significant damage to homes and businesses in the Springfield suburb of Sherman, Illinois, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell told CNN.

“We've got several businesses that have been basically destroyed,” Campbell said.

Among those businesses is a daycare with a collapsed roof, Campbell said. No one was in the building at the time of the storm. 

So far, the only confirmed storm-related injury was the result of a traffic accident, the sheriff said. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies are still surveying rural areas of the county late Friday to find out the extent of the damage, Campbell said.

A tornado watch is in effect for east-central Illinois, central Indiana and western Kentucky until 2 a.m. CDT, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Cities that could be impacted include Indianapolis, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky.

Storms developing in the area could result in intense tornadoes, golf-ball-sized hail and strong wind gusts of up to 80 mph, according to the storm center.

At least 24 people have been hospitalized in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a result of severe weather in the area, according to Mayor Frank Scott Jr.

No fatalities have been reported in the area as of 7 p.m. Friday evening, the mayor said.

“Property damage is extensive and we are still responding,” Scott said in a tweet.

Two confirmed tornados touched down in Arkansas Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. 

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has activated the Arkansas National Guard following severe weather.

Sanders noted “widespread damage” in Wynne and has been in touch with local officials in the area.

“Praying for the safety of all Arkansans who are in the path of these storms,” Sanders said on Twitter.

Sanders declared a state of emergency in Arkansas earlier Friday due to severe storms and at least two confirmed tornado touchdowns.

A particularly dangerous tornado watch is in effect for northwestern Alabama, northern Mississippi and western and middle Tennessee until 1 a.m. CDT, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The tornadoes that develop could have EF-2 or higher intensity, with destructive winds over 111 mph, according to the center. Additionally, these storms will contain wind gusts to 80 mph along with hail close to baseball size.

Cities in the watch include Nashville, Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi.

A line of severe weather that moved through Wynne, Arkansas, caused severe damage, mayor Jennifer Hobbs said Friday evening.

The apparent tornado cut a stark line of destruction through the city of about 8,300 people, according to Hobbs. “The town is basically cut in half by damage from east to west,” the mayor told CNN.

Officials are working to determine the total amount of damage and potential injuries, Hobbs said.

“We are still in triage mode,” she added.

A tornado emergency has been declared by the National Weather Service for a large, confirmed and destructive tornado over Covington, Tennessee.

This storm is 40 miles northeast of Memphis and moving northeast at 40 mph.

This is the same tornado that moved through Wynne, Arkansas, and crossed the Mississippi River north of Memphis.