The Mississippi River will crest today at Arkansas City, an indication that the flooding of the river and its tributaries, such as the Arkansas River, will begin to recede.
But officials still warn boaters that the rapid flows are extremely dangerous.
The Mississippi River will reach 44.2 feet early today in Arkansas City, 7 feet above the flood stage. National Weather Service hydrologists forecast the river will remain at that level through Friday before gradually receding.
Rivers began rising in December after more than 7 inches of rain fell in Northwest Arkansas and runoff poured into the Arkansas River basin. More rain fell in Oklahoma, filling reservoirs there and forcing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials to release water into the Arkansas River.
The southeast Arkansas town of Pendleton in Desha County saw on Jan. 4 the third-highest mark the river has ever reached, and Morrilton in central Arkansas recorded its fourth-highest reading on Dec. 31.
"The Arkansas River is continuing to fall," said National Weather Service hydrologist Tabitha Clarke of North Little Rock. "It's back in its banks, and we're not going to see any precipitation for several days."
Still, the Arkansas River is flowing nearly three times the rate the Corps deems safe for boating.
The Mississippi River was above flood stage Monday, and the high waters hindered rescue workers looking for a man officials said slipped off a barge and into the rapids Saturday.
Crews continued searching for Jerry Hooper, a Kinder Morgan employee, who fell off a barge at 8 p.m. Saturday during rain and snow just east of Blytheville, said Joseph Richmond, coordinator of the Mississippi County Office of Emergency Management.
"As high as the water is, it's going to hurt search efforts," Richmond said. "The river is wide, and it's swiftly flowing."
The Mississippi River was at 38.1 feet in Osceola on Monday afternoon, about 10 feet above its flood stage.
The Corps issued a small-craft advisory for the Arkansas River in November. On Monday, the river churned at 195,000 cubic feet per second at Pine Bluff and Little Rock, said Corps spokesman Jay Woods of Little Rock.
In Dardanelle, which is in west Arkansas, the Arkansas River flowed at 155,000 cubic feet per second. Farther upstream, it measured at 140,000 cubic feet per second in Van Buren.
The Corps issues small-craft advisories when the river's flow reaches 70,000 cubic feet per second, Woods said.
"The river is running twice as high as normal," he said. "We are urging people to stay off the river."
The Arkansas River is forecast to briefly rise about a foot and a half by Saturday in Little Rock as runoff from weekend rains reach the basin, Clarke said. The river will drop to 12.3 feet on Wednesday but climb to 13.8 feet on Saturday.
Woods said water remains above the flood pool level at Table Rock Lake in Northwest Arkansas because the White River remains above 25 feet at Newport. The Corps releases water at 20,000 cubic feet per second at the lake when the river drops to 21 feet, Woods said.
Forecasters said temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 40s and low 50s during the week and that no rain is expected until Thursday evening and Friday.
"It'll give the rivers time to fall back down," Clarke said. "We're finally getting into a winter [weather] pattern where there shouldn't be as much rainfall."
There is a slight chance that precipitation could turn to freezing rain or light snow in the northern half of the state Sunday after a cold front moves through, she said.
State Desk on 01/12/2016