A flash-flood watch is in effect in parts of north and northeast Arkansas as more rain falls Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Baxter, Boone, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Stone counties are included in the flash-flood watch, in effect through Thursday morning, forecasters said. Heavy rain has fallen in parts of that region over the past day, and 1 inch to 3 inches more is expected through late Wednesday, creating the possibility of flash floods, the weather service said.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected across north Arkansas on Wednesday, with rain totals between 1/2 inch to 1 inch expected. The storms are forecast to be heavier in the morning and scattered in the afternoon, with “hit-and-miss rain” continuing in north and central Arkansas on Wednesday night.
A flood warning continues for the Cache River near Patterson and the White River at Augusta, the weather service said. The White River stage at August was 25.8 feet at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and flood stage is 26 feet there. Forecasters expect the river to rise to 26.5 feet by early afternoon Sunday, a level that could start to flood farmland along the river in White and Woodruff counties.
The Cache River at Patterson had risen to 8 feet, which is the flood stage there, forecasters said. Low, swampy timberland begins to flood at that stage, but the river will fall by late Wednesday morning, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, a heat advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Wednesday for far southeast Arkansas, including Ashley and Chicot counties, the weather service said. Temperatures peaking between 95 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit are expected, with heat indexes between 105 and 110 degrees in the afternoon. The weather service advises avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, taking frequent breaks, wearing lightweight and loose clothes, and staying hydrated.