Flood warnings in effect, some highways closed as Harvey remnants hit Arkansas

Forecast rain totals associated with the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, according to the latest advisory.
Forecast rain totals associated with the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, according to the latest advisory.

5:04 P.M. UPDATE:

More highways in eastern Arkansas County have been shut as rain associated with the remnants of Harvey saturates the ground.

In separate advisories issued between 4 and 5 p.m., the Department of Transportation said 3.16 miles of state Highway 153, 2.6 miles of state Highway 17 and 5.5 miles of state Highway 152 were closed due to high water.

3:58 P.M. UPDATE:

Flood warnings are in effect in eastern Arkansas as the remnants of Tropical Storm Harvey sweep into the state.

The National Weather Service said Thursday that flash flooding is likely in an area where up to 9 inches of rain has already fallen, including parts of Woodruff, Prairie, Jackson, Monroe and White counties. Forecasters say another 2 inches of rain is possible.

Additional flash flooding is likely in northeastern Desha, East Central Lincoln and southeastern Arkansas counties. Forecasters say flash flood watches are in effect elsewhere.

Forecasters say heavy showers will continue across much of the southeast two thirds of Arkansas through Thursday night as the storm moves northeast. Winds will also be breezy, with gusts of 20 mph to 30 mph in parts of central, eastern and northeastern Arkansas.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

— The Associated Press

3:54 P.M. UPDATE:

Portions of eastern Arkansas highways have closed because of rain saturating grounds associated with the remnants of the former Hurricane Harvey.

In an advisory around 3:20 p.m. Thursday, the state Department of Transportation said about 4 miles of Arkansas 144 in Arkansas County was closed in both directions because of “high water.”

An 11-mile stretch of another highway in the county, Arkansas 44, was also reported closed south of Gillett because of high water around 3:20 p.m., the agency said.

In Lee County, floodwater shuttered a 0.4-mile portion of U.S. 79 in Marianna on Thursday afternoon.

“Due to heavy rains, the railroad trestle is flooded and dangerous,” an advisory posted shortly before 1 p.m. warned.

1:44 P.M. UPDATE:

All tornado warnings previously in place for eastern Arkansas have been allowed to expire.

The National Weather Service had dropped warnings for Crittenden, Lee and St. Francis counties as of around 1:40 p.m.

No other tornado warnings are active in the state.

1:12 P.M. UPDATE:

Another tornado warning has been issued for two eastern Arkansas counties.

The National Weather Service says that warning is in effect until 1:45 p.m. for Lee and St. Francis counties.

Around 1:05 p.m., a storm capable of producing a tornado was located near North Tunica, Miss., moving northwest at 15 mph.

1 P.M. UPDATE:

A tornado warning has been issued for a portion of extreme eastern Arkansas, including West Memphis, according to the National Weather Service.

The warning is in effect until 1:30 p.m. for central Crittenden County, according to an alert.

Meteorologists say a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Whitehaven, Tenn., at 1 p.m. moving northwest at 15 mph.

EARLIER STORY:

Nearly 9 inches of rain has fallen in one northeast Arkansas city, making it the hardest hit as remnants of former Hurricane Harvey saturate that part of the state, meteorologists say.

Reports of road closures as well as possible flooding in residential areas of Woodruff County had been recorded Thursday morning, said Heather Cross of the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.

McCrory, a town of about 1,850 residents in Woodruff County, has seen the most rainfall thus far, the weather service said.

That county as well as Monroe and Prairie counties are under a flash flood warning until 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

“They have been pretty hard hit since this morning,” Cross said.

Cross said between 3 to 4 inches of additional rainfall is expected in those areas before bands associated with Harvey push out of the state late Thursday or early Friday.

Portions of extreme eastern Arkansas could see up to 6 inches before Harvey travels into Tennessee and Mississippi.

The bands have created a “tight gradient” for precipitation, meaning some areas of northeast and eastern Arkansas could see more significant totals than others.

In Little Rock, which will host the Razorback football team's season opener at War Memorial Stadium on Thursday evening, a 30 percent chance of rain is still in the forecast. Forecasters say between 1 to 2 inches could fall in central Arkansas.

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