Floodwaters reach homes in Fort Smith; 100-200 people flee as Arkansas River rises

Water churns into the Arkansas River on Friday after U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began increasing the release rate on the swollen Keystone Dam north of Tulsa and on other flood-reduction lakes. That water is pushing into Arkansas, causing a major flood threat.
Water churns into the Arkansas River on Friday after U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began increasing the release rate on the swollen Keystone Dam north of Tulsa and on other flood-reduction lakes. That water is pushing into Arkansas, causing a major flood threat.

Water had already begun reaching some houses in Fort Smith on Saturday, days before the Arkansas River is expected to crest and topple long-standing flooding records.

Water draining from a drenched northeast Oklahoma is pouring into the Arkansas River, prompting authorities to open shelters, recommend evacuations and block roadways across the state.

A city spokesman said between 100 and 200 people had evacuated Fort Smith by Saturday, and at least one home had flooded to its rooftop, The Associated Press reported.

On Friday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the coming flooding. By Saturday, the state Department of Emergency Management was at level-one readiness, meaning it was staffed for a major event, spokesman Melody Daniel said.

No injuries have been reported so far.

The National Weather Service said flooding will break records in Van Buren, Morrilton and Toad Suck in Faulkner County and will come close to breaking records in Ozark and Dardanelle.

[RELATED: Gov. Asa Hutchinson OKs $100,000 in emergency funds for flood response]

The water will be higher than it's been in more than 30 years in most cities along the Arkansas River as the river stretches across the state. At Pine Bluff and Little Rock, it's expected to be about 2 feet below 30-year levels.

The Arkansas River in Fort Smith entered major flood stage Thursday, and by Saturday it was at about 36 feet. It is expected to hit 41 feet by Monday, 3 feet higher than the 1945 record.

Laurie Driver, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said water flowing from Oklahoma has slowed, delaying the earlier expected crests across Arkansas.

Authorities advised boaters and swimmers to stay off the Arkansas River until further notice. The current well-exceeds safe conditions, Driver said.

A small-craft advisory is issued at 70,000 cubic feet per second. On Saturday, the Arkansas River at Van Buren clocked in at 406,000 cubic feet and is expected to reach 560,000 cubic feet by Tuesday, Driver said.

At Dardanelle, the water was moving at 310,000 cubic feet Saturday morning and was expected to hit 525,000 cubic feet by Thursday.

Even the Pendleton dam in southeast Arkansas, where the water speed is expected to reach 490,000 cubic feet Wednesday, recorded the flow at 190,000 cubic feet Saturday.

Fort Smith Police Department spokesman Aric Mitchell said water had already reached houses in the city's flood-prone communities and had blocked multiple roadways. In one riverside neighborhood, Mitchell said the water was high enough to "touch the bottom of trampolines in their backyard."

The state Department of Transportation said multiple roads were closed because of flooding, including parts of Arkansas highways 309, 252, 96 and 22 in and around Sebastian and Crawford counties. Mitchell said street crews were out Saturday building a sandbag barrier along a 6-mile stretch of Riverfront Drive in an effort to keep the water at bay.

In Pope County, the levee district is constructing a temporary barrier across Arkansas 105, closing both lanes of the road until further notice. A Pope County dispatcher said workers were installing a clay and dirt levee in that area.

In Conway, officials opened the Don Owen Sports Center as an emergency shelter Saturday afternoon, city spokesman Bobby Kelly said.

Multiple parks and recreation areas near the river have been closed across the state, and Mitchell said officers are warning Memorial Day celebrants to stay away from barriers and heed officers' instructions.

"We've had to issue one [citation] to tell people to stop going through road closures and around barricades to see how bad it is," Mitchell said. People "want to see what's going on, but you'll really put yourself in danger."

Mitchell said the Police Department is using its emergency notification system and its cellphone application to keep people up to date on the latest closures and flooding news.

"It's the first time we've really had to use it," he said. "But it's really helping because we can send out a notification and know that people are getting the information."

Local police departments cannot issue mandatory evacuations, Mitchell said, but officers are "strongly recommending" evacuations in several flood-prone areas.

On Friday, the American Red Cross opened a shelter in Evangel Temple, at 1110 S. 12th St., in Fort Smith and asked that evacuees have with them enough bedding, toiletries and clothing for a few days' stay.

Hutchinson directed the Arkansas National Guard to send two 13-man rescue teams to the western part of the state Saturday and to follow the flooding eastward as needed.

Daniel said Saturday that the rescue teams were stationed in Fort Smith and Dardanelle.

In Oklahoma, the river was already 4 feet above flood stage Friday and causing flooding in parts of Tulsa, the state's second-largest city, the AP reported.

Officials said many Oklahoma levees were built in the 1940s and haven't had to hold back this much water since 1986, AP reported.

Many of Arkansas' levees also date to the 1940s and 1950s, Driver said, and have been under local levee board supervision for several years. Driver said Corps teams are available to inspect and advise on levee safety if local districts ask.

More rain is in the forecast for Arkansas and Oklahoma in the coming week, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Smith said Saturday.

"Over the next five to seven days, we will probably see another 3 to 4 inches in Northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma," he said.

As the water moves downstream, Smith said, crest dates and flood predictions could change.

"As it goes over more area and wider channels, it will spread out some and not be moving as fast," he said. "But it will be impactful regardless."

Metro on 05/26/2019

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