24-05-2025
Fort Chaffee cleans damage from EF-1 tornado
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center was among the many places that received damage from Monday's tornadoes.
The National Weather Service in Tulsa surveyed damage and confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down with estimated maximum wind speeds of 107 mph. Lt. Col. Mike Speight with the Arkansas Army National Guard estimates more than 50 buildings were damaged, seven of which would 'probably be considered major damage.'
Speight said there were no injuries reported and training and operations at Fort Chaffee remain unaffected while the clean-up process continues.
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'Losing a handful of barracks, it's not going to be a significant impact,' Speight said. 'We may have to move some units around. They thought they were going to get this building. Now, they're going to get another building in a different part of the installation.'
NWS Tulsa identified a 21.4-mile tornado track in total, starting just north of Cameron, Oklahoma, and lifting northwest of Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center before reaching Highway 22. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 25 minutes. The highest observed winds during the entire track came when it crossed over Fort Chaffee.
Speight said there weren't many people on base Monday when the tornado passed through. He was at home with his family when he noticed the track went over the fort, then called the police department at Fort Chaffee to check in.
The next morning, Speight said everybody at Fort Chaffee got to work to clear debris and restore the buildings. He said roads were clear by about 10 a.m. Tuesday, and a majority of the big debris was out of the way by 10 a.m. Thursday.
There were some crews lifting a tree off the roof of one building and repairing the roof of another Friday.
'It's all hands on deck,' Speight said. 'Let's get out the trucks, trailers, start piling brush, dragging sheet metal off to the recycling area.'
Speight is unsure how much it will cost to repair the damage.
'I think we'll move forward from there, and we'll fix what we need to fix, and we'll get them back into repair and back into service,' Speight said.
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