6 inches of rain sends lakes, rivers over banks

WESTSIDE — Residents of Decatur, Gentry, Gravette and surrounding communities enjoyed a warm sunny morning on March 26 as the clouds began to move in from the south. By early afternoon, a strong south wind began blowing, bringing with it an ominous sign of a change in the weather.

Early in the evening, rain began to fall in northwest Arkansas and, by mid-day March 27, 4 to 6 inches of rain had fallen, with some areas receiving even greater amounts.

At Crystal Lake in Decatur, lake levels rose so high that much of Crystal Lake Park and the parking area were under as much as a foot of water. Water poured over the spillway and created a thundering waterfall below the dam.

On Grant Street in Decatur, water at the low-water bridge over Columbia Hollow Creek was flowing so fast that city officials were forced to shut down the bridge, stranding residents of the Grant Springs Apartments in their homes for several hours.

In Gentry, several fields along Arkansas Highway 12 east of Arkansas Highway 59 were under water and some roads and driveways were flooded.

On the corner of South Pleasant Valley Road, east of Springtown, a county road crew worked in the rain to clear debris from a clogged culvert which backed up water and caused it to flow over the highway. Workers removed several tree branches and a 12-foot log.

Rain returned Thursday morning, threatening to flood the area again. Fortunately, the rain remained relatively light and caused no additional flooding.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A pickup waits at the base of Grant Avenue in Decatur on March 27 as floodwater closed the low-water bridge across Columbia Hollow Creek. Residents of Grant Springs Apartments were stranded for much of the day until the floodwater receded enough that...

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Two signs and a telephone junction box were under a foot of water at Crystal Lake Park in Decatur on March 27.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A Benton County road worker removes a large log that was wedged in a culvert as a torrent of water flows over the roadway at the intersection of Arkansas Highway 12 and South Pleasant Valley Road near Springtown on March 27.