Forecasters warn of more rain on holiday

LITTLE ROCK — Downpours have flooded lakeside campsites and made the Arkansas River unsafe for recreation heading into the Memorial Day weekend, when even more rain is projected to fall across the state.

Portions of west-central Arkansas have received more than 25 inches of rain since March 1, which has caused a series of flash floods and an ongoing boating ban on the Arkansas River.

"The water has nowhere to go," said meteorologist Emilie Nipper with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. "It won't soak into the ground. It will run off."

Nipper said there's a small chance of rain Saturday, but there's an 80 percent chance Sunday night and Monday morning when up to 5 more inches could fall in western Arkansas.

"Any rain is going to cause problems," Nipper said. "We're looking at the potential for flash flooding and continued river flooding."

Recreational boats and watercraft have been banned on the Arkansas River since the Army Corps of Engineers issued a small craft advisory on May 8. Spokesman Laurie Driver said that will last at least through the holiday weekend.

"We have high water levels, swift currents and debris," Driver said.

The rainfall has also swelled at least 13 lakes across the state, such as Ouachita, Hamilton and Beaver. Driver said the waters have flooded campgrounds, boat ramps and swim beaches.

Driver advised against diving into lakes or rivers in general, but said higher water levels hide rocks and other items that might be barely submerged. She said rangers will be patrolling heavily over the weekend checking for people being unsafe.

"We want everyone to come out and enjoy the holiday but be safe so they can come back," she said.

At Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, a popular tourist town about 60 miles southwest of Little Rock, Clint Burton said the water is about 2 to 3 feet higher than usual. He said Memorial Day traffic will likely be a little slower with the high water and chance of rain, but not by much.

"There's a lot more debris out on the lake than there normally is this time of year because of [the flooding]," said Burton, an employee at the Salty Dog Boating Center at Lake Hamilton. "It's not really stopping people from going out on the water."

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