Highway officials reopened a section of U.S. 71 in Little River County on Wednesday after water from the flooded Red River continued to recede.
The 2.47-mile length of roadway opened early in the morning after highway crews cleaned off silt and ensured that there was no damage caused by the flooding, said Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department spokesman Randy Ort.
Officials closed the four-lane divided highway Friday from the Arkansas-Texas state line north to Arkansas 380 near Ogden after water rose and covered it. Highway officials closed the same section from May 29 to June 14 because of flooding.
The Red River at Index was measured at 20 feet Wednesday afternoon, down more than 4 feet from Monday's reading. Flood stage there is 25 feet.
National Weather Service hydrologists expect the river to continue receding and be at 18.7 feet by Friday.
"The road wasn't as far underwater this time," Ort said. "There wasn't a swift-flowing current, so there was no damage."
The Red River crested at 31.4 feet at Index on June 4, after Oklahoma and Texas were hit with 15-20 inches of rain in May. In June, the river rose a second time after the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill dumped 7-8 inches of rain on some areas in the river's basin in Texas.
The Arkansas River also flooded in May and June. President Barack Obama declared 29 Arkansas counties as federal disaster areas last week, affording residents a chance to apply for financial assistance to cover uninsured losses.
William Koontz, a spokesman for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance, said at least three recovery centers will open in the state for people who want to apply for the assistance. People can visit the centers or apply online at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or by calling the Small Business Administration at (800) 659-2955.
Koontz said he intends to travel to Pine Bluff today to see homes damaged by Arkansas River flooding. According to preliminary damage assessments, 50 houses along the river in Jefferson County received major damage, meaning at least 40 percent of the house was destroyed. Another 96 houses received minor damage.
"The Pine Bluff area is the hot spot in the state for the most damage," Koontz said. "Flooding is the worst disaster because it keeps giving. People also have to deal with mold damage after the water goes away."
Koontz said the centers will remain open in the state as long as there is a need.
National Weather Service forecasters are calling for more rain, but it is not expected to cause any flooding.
A front is expected to enter the state today, raising the chances for rain through the rest of week, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Smith.
Northeast and north-central Arkansas could see up to an inch of rain by Friday. Central Arkansas could receive a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain.
More rain is expected Saturday as the front shifts again, Smith said.
"The Fourth of July could be a little bit wet," he said.
State Desk on 07/02/2015