CONWAY — Forecasters have issued a flood warning for Faulkner County residents near Lake Conway.
According to forecasters, portions of Mayflower, Saltillo and parts of southeast Conway are expected to see flooding early this week.
Historic flooding along the Arkansas River is pushing water up Palarm Creek, over the Lake Conway spillway and into the lake itself, forecasters said.
“Given the lake’s current rate of rise, residential flooding around Lake Conway is [imminent],” the weather service said. “Property that has flooded in the past ten years is at the greatest risk for flooding.”
Forecasters said Lake Conway is expected to exceed the flood stage of 266 feet by Wednesday and continue rising. Additional rainfall predicted for the end of the week will worsen flooding around the lake.
Faulkner County attorney and spokesman David Hogue said during a news conference Monday that county officials will notify residents in affected areas of the need to evacuate. Hogue said any areas in the county that have flooded in past years should expect flooding.
Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry said U.S. 64 has been closed at the county line of Faulkner and Conway counties.
Arkansas Department of Transportation officials said they don’t plan to close Interstate 40, although part of it is included in the flood-warned area.
Danny Straessle, spokesman for the department, said there is “eight feet of room before that water gets up to level with the road.” He said the department is continuing to monitor the flow and impact of floodwaters there and across the state.
The American Red Cross has a shelter open at the Don Owen Sports Complex in Conway for anyone affected by flooding. A facility to take care of pets also has been set up near the complex.
This story originally published at 9:34 a.m. on June 3, 2019.