Storms leave state, but flood threat lingers, forecaster says

Storms have moved out of Arkansas for now, but flooding will remain a concern as weeks of rain have left many rivers at high levels, according to the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.

Moderate to major flooding has occurred along portions of the Cache and lower White rivers, said John Lewis, forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. He said minor flooding was noted along the Black and Ouachita Rivers.

“The most recent rain just more or less kept the rivers high,” Lewis said. “We haven’t had a period of dry weather. I am going to assume this month we have above average rainfall. If that is the case, that would be seven months in a row with above-average rain.”

From Friday to Saturday one to more than three inches of rain was common over the southeast half of Arkansas. More than half a foot of rain dumped from northern Mississippi into northwest Alabama and central Tennessee.

“Most of the rain was gone by [Saturday night],” Lewis said.

The high water contributed to at least one death in Arkansas.

More than 25 sections of state highways have been closed due to high water, said Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Danny Straessle.

“We try to tighten the closures as much as we can to allow people in the local areas to get out or get home,” Straessle said.

Straessle said the number of road closures had increased as floodwater migrated south through rivers and creeks, eventually inundating roadways.

“We don’t give out an estimate for when the roads will be open again because we don’t know,” Straessle said. “Water does what it wants to do and it’s a slow drainage process. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature.”

In eastern Arkansas, the state’s agricultural center, fields on either side of state highways collected water and overflowed onto the roadways.

On Saturday morning, the body of Loyd Cockrell, 76, of Jonesboro was found in his vehicle in northeast Arkansas. Authorities determined Cockrell had driven around three barricades, and his vehicle was swept away by high water.

“People drive around barricades and unless we have

an ArDot employee or law enforcement positioned at every section then there is nothing we can do to stop it,” Straessle said. “We have signs that tell them about high water, but they have to choose to heed the warnings.”

The water in the area where Cockrell was swept away was a direct result of the high water on the Black River, Lewis said.

“We have had some highway sections underwater for some time now,” Lewis said. “The rivers haven’t had a chance to fall.”

The decline of water can be a very long process.

“It can take several weeks,” Lewis said. “Right now we are worried for the farmers when it gets close to springtime because their fields are going to be pretty wet and muddy at this rate.”

Lewis said more rain is predicted to fall on the state sometime on Wednesday.