VIDEO: Dozens Hospitalized After Massive Tornado Rips Through Little Rock

Arkansas‘ capital city is reeling after a massive tornado blew through on Friday afternoon, sending dozens to the hospital and causing extensive damage.

Witnesses posted video of the funnel from several angles as it passed through the area, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Insane video of massive Tornado on the Ground in Little Rock taken from the 7th floor of Little Rock Baptist hospital.. Video by Kristal Benton from Medical Towers 1 pic.twitter.com/710L3RQj9k

— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) March 31, 2023

wife took this from baptist hospital in LR #Tornado #littlerock #Arkansas pic.twitter.com/VqskSxjxGE

— Jesse Forrester (@Jwforr) March 31, 2023

This is the tornado as it moved through Little Rock this afternoon – our field meteorologist @AlaStormTracker saw debris lofted, he is joining us now on WeatherNation to discuss the storm and damage pic.twitter.com/O4hraIjFmi

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) March 31, 2023

Videos show a powerful tornado moving through Little Rock, Arkansas. A significant tornado outbreak is underway in the South and Midwest, as millions are under a severe weather threat. There are a "significant" number of injuries, authorities say. https://t.co/rgm2GnFeUB pic.twitter.com/12zwTm9Nmt

— ABC News (@ABC) April 1, 2023

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced in a tweet that he had been in contact with Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, asking for the state to provide any assistance the people impacted might need.

“I have been in contact with Gov. @SarahHuckabee Sanders to request National Guard assistance with our response to the tornado emergency,” he said. “Again, please stay away from the affected areas to allow emergency responders access.”

Sanders’ response was quick: “Here at the Capitol I just signed an executive order declaring that a State of Emergency exists in the State of Arkansas due to today’s severe weather. We will spare no resource to assist with response and recovery efforts for Arkansans impacted.”

Here at the Capitol I just signed an executive order declaring that a State of Emergency exists in the State of Arkansas due to today’s severe weather. We will spare no resource to assist with response and recovery efforts for Arkansans impacted. pic.twitter.com/FsY47vOusn

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 31, 2023

“I’ve activated the Arkansas National Guard. They will be assisting Arkansas State Police and local law enforcement around the state,” she added.

I’ve activated the Arkansas National Guard. They will be assisting Arkansas State Police and local law enforcement around the state.

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 31, 2023

Reports of casualties began pouring in almost immediately as people began to make their way into hospitals for treatment. Mayor Scott issued a statement saying that he already knew of two dozen who had been injured.

At this time, we know of 24 people who have been hospitalized at Little Rock hospitals and we are not aware of any fatalities in Little Rock at this time. Property damage is extensive and we are still responding. #LRwx #ARwx,” he said.

At this time, we know of 24 people who have been hospitalized at Little Rock hospitals and we are not aware of any fatalities in Little Rock at this time. Property damage is extensive and we are still responding. #LRwx #ARwx

— Frank Scott, Jr. (@FrankScottJr) March 31, 2023

Cara Wade, a spokeswoman for Baptist Health medical centers in Little Rock and North Little Rock, confirmed to The New York Times that they were already treating 21 patients who had been injured during the tornado — and several of them were critical.

The damages reported so far have been extensive — roofs were ripped from homes and businesses, churches and schools sustained heavy damages, vehicles were flipped, and trees and street signs were bent or felled altogether.

The Baptist church on Donavan Briley Blvd south of camp Robinson in NLR sustained heavy damage pic.twitter.com/D8keT9OeqL

— James Bryant (@KATVJames) March 31, 2023

Wynne high school sustained HEAVY damage #arwx pic.twitter.com/JjQ9zCRCED

— James Bryant (@KATVJames) March 31, 2023

Calais Forest Apartments in west Little Rock from David Cole… pic.twitter.com/2FmWXEBmVO

— James Bryant (@KATVJames) March 31, 2023

Stop sign is twisted but still standing in Burns Park in NLR pic.twitter.com/N0F3qrYe2g

— James Bryant (@KATVJames) April 1, 2023

According to the NYT report, by Friday evening, some 90,000 people in Arkansas were still without power.

Manchin Blasts Biden Admin Over New EV Tax Credit Regulations

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) blasted the Biden administration again on Friday for seemingly reneging on another policy from the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act.

In a statement Friday, Manchin blasted the Biden administration’s newly-implemented regulations for the electric vehicle tax credit. The IRS proposed new rules Friday that would reduce the number of vehicles which qualify for the $7,500 tax credit, but it would also loosen the restrictions for critical minerals supplied to make the batteries.

“Yet again – the guidance released by the Department of the Treasury completely ignores the intent of the Inflation Reduction Act,” Manchin said. “It is horrific that the Administration continues to ignore the purpose of the law which is to bring manufacturing back to America and ensure we have reliable and secure supply chains. American tax dollars should not be used to support manufacturing jobs overseas. It is a pathetic excuse to spend more taxpayer dollars as quickly as possible and further cedes control to the Chinese Communist Party in the process.”

“The guidance includes a 60-day comment period and I ask for every American to comment,” he added. “My comment is simple: stop this now – just follow the law.”

Manchin’s gripe seems to be specifically about one of the new regulations, which loosens some requirements for critical mineral sourcing. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, in order to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit, at least 40% of the critical materials needed in the battery must come from domestic sources or countries that have a free trade agreement with the United States, The New York Times reported; but the new regulations loosen that requirement to include countries that have a separate Critical Minerals Agreement with the U.S. The proposed rule singles out Japan, which signed a Critical Minerals Agreement with the U.S. on Tuesday. The new rule also paves the way for more countries to be included in that list.

The Daily Wire reported in 2022 that only about 21 vehicles of the 72 electric car models currently on the road would qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit. The New York Times projected that when the new sourcing requirements go into effect on April 18, even fewer vehicles will qualify for the full credit.

Manchin, who provided the critical vote that pushed the Inflation Reduction Act over the line in 2022, has been sore all week about how the Biden administration has implemented the law. “[​​I]​nstead of implementing the law as intended, unelected ideologues, bureaucrats and appointees seem determined to violate and subvert the law to advance a partisan agenda that ignores both energy and fiscal security​,” Manchin wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Wednesday. “​Specifically, they are ignoring the law’s intent to support and expand fossil energy and are redefining ​’​domestic energy​’​ to increase clean-energy spending to potentially deficit-breaking levels. The administration is attempting at every turn to implement the bill it wanted, not the bill Congress actually passed​.”

In exchange for his vote, Manchin was also promised a side deal on oil and gas permitting reform by Senate Democratic leadership, but that deal has since fallen apart.

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Former Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) predicted in July that Manchin would be disappointed by the bill. “I think he got taken to the cleaners,” Toomey said. “He’s agreeing to all this bad policy.”