Reporters Cathy Frye and Amy Upshaw began conducting interviews for this series in the days following the June 11 flood. In all, they talked to more than 20 survivors, rescuers, relatives and others familiar with the flood.
The Democrat-Gazette used those interviews, visits to the ravaged campground and documents from the Arkansas State Police, the sheriff’s offices in Montgomery and Pike counties, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service to re-create what happened on the morning of June 11.
The details about Kerri Basinger’s and Candace Smith’s time with their families were provided by the women themselves.
Information about the Forest Service reaction to weather emergencies came from a federal review of the agency’s response to the flood. District Ranger Gloria Chrismer declined to comment for this article.
When asked why the Forest Service didn’t monitor the weather on the night of the flood or why no Forest Service employees told the campground’s hosts about the flood watches and warnings, Forest Service spokesman Tracy Farley said, “Weather alerts are provided by the National Weather Service (NWS). Local emergency management agencies, generally at the county level, determine the need to evacuate an area covered by an NWS alert. The Forest Service does not have specific policy that covers weather alerts. Visitors are expected to be aware of the weather forecast for the area they are visiting.”