National Guard put on standby
Floodwaters continue to invade
Near-record flooding of some 20,000 acres will continue as the Red River steadily spills into grasslands and roadways.
The Ark-La-Tex region was pounded by a system of severe thunderstorms Monday night that caused thousands of dollars in damage and spawned multiple tornadoes. Heavy precipitation is forecast for Bowie County, Texas, this weekend, which has some wondering how much more flooding should be expected.
On Thursday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson put the National Guard on standby to help any counties in Southwest Arkansas affected by major flooding, according to Terry Purvis, deputy director of emergency management for Miller County. He said Miller County emergency officials are doing everything they can to keep the levees there from being breached and prepare citizens for possible evacuation.
The U.S. Highway 259 and Texas Highway 8 bridges have closed, and officials are keeping an eye on Texas Highway 37, as it is also likely to flood and the bridge over Red River at Index, Ark.
As of 10:15 p.m. Thursday, the Index Bridge over the Red River on U.S. Highway 71 between Texarkana and Ashdown, Ark., was still open, according to Purvis.
“They have a (state highway department) crew and barricades on standby (at the bridge),” Purvis said. “As soon as the water goes over the road, it will close.”
Purvis said late Thursday the bridge is likely to close within the next 24 hours.
“It is a very serious situation,” said Mario Valverde, meteorologist in charge at National Weather Service in Shreveport, La., said. “We are going to get some significant flooding in areas that haven’t been this wet in a while.”
The significant flooding will
be along the Red River near Gainesville, Texas; Arthur City, Okla.; and Pecan Point near DeKalb, Texas. Lake Texoma also plays a crucial role in this scenario, as everything flowing through there must eventually come through the Texarkana area.
All four areas have passed the action stage, which is the water level at which preparations are made for possible flooding. The areas near Gainesville, Arthur City and Pecan Point are above the major flood level, which indicates extensive inundation of structures and roads.
According to the NWS, the Red River near Gainesville was at 34.5 feet Thursday evening and is expected to fall to 26 feet by Monday afternoon. Arthur City was at 35 feet and holding steady into next week. Similar conditions exist for Pecan Point, which stood at 34.6 feet will remain so for several days.
“That water is all coming towards Index Bridge and down river,” Valverde said.
Index Bridge, which is about 10 miles north of Texarkana, was listed at 26.1 feet late Thursday and is expected to swell into a major flood Saturday night and into Sunday evening, eventually cresting at 30 feet—4 feet short of the record.
“We have the rainfall that we’ve anticipated for the next five days that is incorporated into our river hydrology forecasts,” said Valverde who explained that rainfall, air moisture and several other components factor into their hydrology reports.
Anyone hoping for a quick evaporation of the accumulated water will be disappointed as Valverde believes floodwaters will be around for a while. “Long-term, it’s going to be wet,” he said, adding that soggy ground conditions are likely to remain until at least late June if current trends continue.
The soaked conditions have already greatly affected travel, which will affect business and commerce as the summer months continue their approach. The Red River has not been this high since 1990, and the recent weather activity has caused residents in some areas to evacuate.
Valverde said the current and impending weather situation is dangerous, but that if people adhere to the advice of their emergency officials and stay vigilant, they should be fine. He added that under no circumstance should they disregard warning signs or road barriers:
“Hopefully, people will not go around those barriers and put their lives or other lives at risk.”