iStock/Thinkstock(HINDSVILLE, Ark.) — Sheriff’s deputies in Arkansas are searching for an 18-month-old child who was swept away in floodwaters caused by severe storms over the weekend.
The 18-month-old and a 4-year-old were inside of a car that was swept away on a low-water bridge near Hindsville, said Madison County Sheriff Rick Evans.
It is not clear if the children remained in the vehicle or were able to escape, Evans said. The 4-year-old has since been found dead.
The woman who was driving the car escaped, he added.
The storm-related death toll has reached at least 17 in five states, including Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Numerous flash flood warnings were in effect in Arkansas Sunday morning.
In Springdale, Arkansas, on Saturday, another child that fell into floodwaters died, according to authorities.
In Cove City, Arkansas, Cove City Fire Chief Doug Deckard was checking water lines on the roadway early Sunday during a thunderstorm when he was hit by a vehicle, said Arkansas State Police.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had declared a state of emergency Sunday in response to the storms and flooding.
“Our prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in the heavy rain and storms last night,” Hutchinson said. “I also thank our first responders who have worked tirelessly to provide assistance.”
In Thorton Place, Mississippi, a 7-year-old was electrocuted Sunday morning while playing in the rainstorm, according the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office said. It is unclear if the ground itself was charged due to a lightning strike or if the child received a shock after he or she fell down while trying to unplug a charger for a golf cart.
In Nashville, a 2-year-old girl was struck by a heavy metal soccer goal that blew over in high winds on Sunday.
Others died as a result of trees falling onto their homes, by falling into flood-ravaged creeks and by being swept away while inside of a car, authorities said.
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