The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency, the highest warning possible, as a “large and destructive tornado” hit Lake City, Arkansas, and surrounding areas in the northeastern part of the state.

Arkansas Gov. Sara Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Wednesday and posted on X that she has received reports of tornado and storm damage.

Videos shared on social media shared on social media shows a massive tornado tearing across the land.

The tornado emergency issued by the weather service, which covered an area near the Arkansas-Missouri border, ended at 7:45 p.m. local time but Accuweather reporter Leslie Hudson told the weather outlet that the danger did not abate with nightfall.

“The sun is setting here, so now this turns into a much more dangerous situation, trying to track the severe weather as the daylight goes away,” Hudson said.

CNN meteorologists said Wednesday night that the storm had a “hook echo,” a meteorological pattern that suggests the presence of a strong storm

Arkansas tornado hits as storm hits broad swath

Dozens of tornado watches and warnings remain in effect Wednesday night from northeastern Texas to Ohio, including Indianapolis, as a major storm is hitting the Lower Ohio Valley and Mid-South.

The weather service said Wednesday that the storm would bring a “barrage of life-threatening weather hazards including flash flooding and strong tornadoes” to the regions. The Storm Prediction Center maintains a 5/5 risk of severe weather for the region.

A tornado caused the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, to shelter in place at 8:18 p.m. local time Wednesday, while KFVS-TV, a Missouri-based CBS affiliate, broadcast as a tornado passed over the station.

“That was a little bit intense folks,” meteorologist Grant Dade said on the broadcast. “I’ve never witnessed a wedge tornado come right into the station.”

The station reported that at least one person has died due to the storm, citing Sgt. Clark Parrott with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who said there was “devastation everywhere” between the towns of Advance and Delta.

Check back with USA TODAY for more storm coverage.