The boy, 9, was catapulted 20 feet into the air after a small tornado crossed his path.
Storm spotters reported the tornado touched down in the area at about 3:30 a.m. local time (0800 GMT), according to the National Weather Service.
The twister struck Arkansas as an immense blast of extreme spring weather swept much of the United States, menacing the nation's midsection from Texas to the Great Lakes with dangerous thunderstorms
Nine deaths have been reported, as the result of tornados hitting the US, and the number is expected to climb.