The waters began to rise in the early morning. By the time the sun rose, the Albert Pike Recreational Area was already deluged by a flash flood. The following is a loose timeline of events from Friday's devastation.
Thursday night Heavy rains fall across much of the state.
1 a.m. Friday Water begins rising in the Little Missouri River, according to Tabitha Clarke, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.
2 a.m. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning covering a 45-mile stretch from Polk County east to Garland County.
3 a.m. A trooper on duty notices the high water and notifies the Montgomery County sheriff's office.
3:13 a.m. National Weather Service reports a search under way for missing campers in the area.
Early morning. Some campers awaken to rapidly rising water. To survive, they scramble to higher ground, cling to trees, climb into pickup beds.
6 a.m. Floodwaters surge into the Albert Pike Recreation Area. The river had been rising as quickly as 8 feet an hour.
Mid-morning Water begins to recede, revealing extensive devastation. Local authorities and rescue crews enter the area, but are stopped by a mudslide that has to be removed before they can push through to the heavily flooded areas.
9:30 a.m. Arkansas State Police reports 6 people drowned in flooding. Emergency crews continue to arrive, including a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with the Arkansas National Guard.
Noon Fourteen people are reported dead by the state police.
3 p.m. Gov. Mike Beebe arrives in Montgomery County and meets with families of those missing. At one point, he said the death had climbed to 20. But Beebe’s office later revised that figure to 16, saying he had relied on an erroneous figure after talking to an emergency worker at the scene.
5 p.m. A call center is set up for families of those missing to report their names. The phone number people can call is 888-683-2336. The call center will be open until 10 p.m. tonight and Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Early evening Authorities say 14 of the 16 bodies have been identified
8 p.m. As the sun sets, search efforts are suspended for the night.
8:30 p.m. A candlelight vigil is held in Langley for the missing.
This timeline was pieced together with reports from The Associated Press, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the Arkansas National Guard and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.