VIDEO: Flooding triggered by heavy rain in Northwest Arkansas

War Eagle Mill
War Eagle Mill

1:06 p.m. update

Benton County Emergency Management officials were working to collect information on storm damage to submit for a state disaster declaration on Monday.

Kate Anderson, deputy director of Benton County Emergency Management, said she personally took seven calls in the first hour the disaster information center was open Monday morning.

People were reporting anywhere from an inch to three inches of water in their homes, Anderson said.

Others were concerned about bridges. Bethel Bridge was underwater Monday morning, Anderson said.

The storm triggered 16 swift water rescue calls since Saturday, with many of them in western Benton County, Anderson said.

Historic War Eagle Bridge was closed by Sunday's flooding, as was the nearby War Eagle Mill.

Bruce covey, who lives just adjacent to the bridge, said the flood water crested without topping the bridge.

"Last night it crested about two feet below the deck of the bridge," Covey said Monday morning. "It's about two feet lower now. There are logs collecting on the upstream side, in the middle of the bridge. It's not a lot, but there's some.

Sarah Buck, with the War Eagle Mill, said water got into the building during the flooding.

"The water reached up to the counter on the first floor," Buck said. "It's receding now. We got all of our product and our technology up onto the second floor so we didn't lose any product."

Buck said the mill was closed Monday and it was uncertain when the business will reopen. She said the mill normally closes after Jan. 1 and remains closed through January and February. She said an assessment of the damage will have to wait until the water recedes.

"Right now, we don't know," she said. "We're going to have to wait until we can get in there."

Jeff Clark, Benton County's public services administrator and head of the Road Department, said the county has teams out doing damage assessment but the full extent of the damage won't be known for several days. Clark said there were 46 roads closed Monday morning but the water was receding and the immediate forecast didn't include a significant chance of more rainfall.

"It has crested and is receding," Clark said. "As it recedes we'll be able to get a handle on how much damage there is. In the northwest part of the county we still have places we can't even see the bridges yet to see if it's still there. It's so early in this right now all I know is we've got a lot of water."

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard declared a disaster in the county early Monday morning. Mike Dixon, director of the county's Emergency Management Agency, said a written disaster declaration will be needed if the county reaches the level of damage needed to qualify for state and federal disaster aid.

The Buffalo National River was closed to river traffic due to flooding, with the Tyler Bend campground completely submerged, according to a news release from the National Park Service.

The entrance to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport was clear by Monday morning.

The region’s Eco-Vista Landfill in Tontitown re-opened around mid-day after Waste Management closed it this morning because of water over the roads in and out of the facility, spokesman George Wheatley said.

If the closure had continued, it could have delayed trash collections across Benton and Washington counties.

Extra rock and gravel on the roads and the floodwaters’ receding made the roads safe enough to use, Wheatley said.

“When a garbage truck comes in, you’re looking at about 12 tons,” he said. “You have to have more than just a regular road.”

Original Story

Rising water could cause driving delays this morning as people look for routes that are not flooded or have trouble getting out of their neighborhoods.

Road Status

http://www.idrivear…">Check road conditions at www.idrivearkansas.…

Road Conditions

Arkansas State Police released the following road conditions Monday morning.

WASHINGTON CO

71 SOUTH OF BRENTWOOD SOUTHBOUND LANES HAVE BARRICADES DETOURING LANES FROM FLOODED AREAS

HWY 16 @ LAKE WEDINGTON IMPASSABLE

HWY 16 AT THE ILLINOIS RIVER BRIDGE IMPASSABLE

HWY 45/W OF GOSHEN CLOSED IMPASSABLE

BENTON CO

HWY 264W BETWEEN CAVE SPRINGS AND XNA HAVE SEVERAL PLACES FLOODED IMPASSABLE

MADISON CO

HWY 23 NORTH OF 16 CLOSED

HWY 16 AT PATRICK IMPASSABLE DUE TO A MUD SLIDE

HWY 295 S OF CROSSES IMPASSABLE DUE TO A MUD SLIDE

Steady rain on Sunday added to storm totals from Saturday night and rain that began Friday for 6-8 inch totals in Benton County by late Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Most of Washington County likely got less rain with 4 or 5 inches measured by Sunday afternoon. Overnight rain should have brought those totals up by 2 or 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Web Watch

See flood warnings issued through the Tulsa, Okla., office of the National Weather Service at www.srh.noaa.gov/tsa.

Benton County disaster declaration

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard issued an emergency disaster declaration Sunday night. Damage surveys will be conducted.

People wishing to report flooding damage in Benton County can call 479-271-1094 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Source: Benton County Emergency Management

"It will be one for the records books," said Brad McGavock, meteorologist at the Tulsa office of the National Weather Service.

The sheer amount of rain, 10 inches in a matter of days, would put it in for a record, McGavock said. However, amount of rain, the time of year, the lack of vegetation on the ground and the already wet soil create a recipe for flooding.

There's one crossing in Elm Springs that has between 3 and 4 feet of water over the road, said Jason Hiatt, Elm Springs Police Chief.

Kevin Thornton, an Elm Springs alderman, had measured more than 9 and a half inches of rain at his home from Friday to just after 5 p.m. Sunday, far more than the official tally.

Some residents were cut off from the road, Hiatt said. Brush Creek Road bends and intersects with Brush Creek in two places in Elm Springs. It overflowed in both, cutting off the Churchill Downs subdivision, Hiatt said.

"They're kind of marooned out there," he said.

Just 10 inches of water can sweep a vehicle off the road, said John Luther, emergency management director for Washington County. Driving into water-covered roads doesn't just risk the life of the person, but the life of the crew sent to rescue them, he said.

"It's just not worth it," he said.

Water rescue teams were called to check on a half dozen instances in Washington County Sunday including homes surrounded by water and a few cars driven into water, Luther said. The county had a little wind damage from the Saturday night storm, he said.

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department announced the closure of a 3½-mile section of Arkansas 264 east of Cave Springs Sunday afternoon, closing the south entrance to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The state also closed a short section of Arkansas 16 west of Fayetteville.

Social media posts for local law enforcement and first responders carried posts of roads closed, then reopened. Some were re-closed. Police radioed each other looking for routes across the county.

There were probably between 50 to 75 roads reported closed in Benton County on Sunday, said Michael DeRose, director of emergency communications for Benton County. Most of those road closings are places where creeks or other water ways overflowed and got into the roadway.

"It's getting worse and it will continue to get worse," DeRose said.

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard issued an emergency disaster declaration Sunday evening.

DeRose said there were between 10 to 15 water rescues in Benton County between overnight rescues Saturday night into Sunday and a second round on Sunday afternoon.

Dispatchers were trying to contact residents of homes near the Illinois River south of Siloam Springs Sunday afternoon to get them to evacuate before the roads became impassable.

Rogers firefighters were called to six water rescues starting Saturday night. Sunday afternoon they were called to Veterans Park at 500 Veterans Parkway and the intersection of Champions Boulevard and Southgate Road which had been closed after midnight call there. Rogers was also called to 3750 N. Dixieland Road in Little Flock shortly before noon for a report of five people trapped in a vehicle, firefighters said Sunday.

Bentonville firefighters were called to the intersection of Peach Orchard Road and Palladium Drive mid-afternoon Sunday. Rescuers called for a boat but the ambulance had higher clearance than the car was able to get close to the disabled vehicle to rescue those inside before the boat arrived, firefighters said.

Fayetteville firefighters were called to a swift water rescue on Arkansas 112 near Sam's Club after a person drove around barricades into the flooded area, then backed into a ditch. They were called to assist another rural call but were canceled.

Springdale firefighter had not been called to any swift water rescues by late Sunday afternoon.

The danger isn't just the water over the road, Hiatt said. When the rain stops there will be bridges to check for damage but flooding in Elm Springs brings debris too, he said. Rocks from the size of a cantaloupe to a watermelon washed onto the roadway along with logs, firewood, even a shed meant to house a trash can, Hiatt said.

Residents might know how much the water is up. They might have a truck with a lot of power and a lot of clearance, but the water isn't the only problem. Sharp rocks and other debris under the water surface can tear up a the vehicle's tires, Hiatt said.

DeRose too warned about washouts or roads damaged in flooding.

"You don't know what could be under the water," he said.

Rain is expected to continue into Monday, and could transition into snow during the day, McGavock said. Snow accumulation is unlikely, he said.

Around the state Sunday, at least four possible tornadoes touched down, along with strong wind and large hail. As of late Sunday, no injuries were reported.

More than 4,000 homes and businesses were without power as the storm system raged across the state.

A possible tornado touched down in Bearden in Ouachita County at 3:50 p.m. Sunday.

Roofs were blown off homes, trees were uprooted and crashed through homes, and storefront windows along Main Street were shattered, said David Norwood, Ouachita County sheriff.

"It looks like it hit about a four-block area," he said. "The crews are out checking to make sure there are no injuries and that we've got all residents accounted for. We're blocking roads to keep out looters from the stores."

In Calhoun County, a possible tornado touched down about 4:10 p.m. Sunday, hitting a home on Little Bay Road and knocking down trees and strewing debris through the area of Arkansas 278 and Arkansas 274 near Hampton, said Jeannie Green, Calhoun County sheriff's office dispatcher.

The county was sending out search and rescue crews. A freight train at an industrial park was overturned by high wind.

A possible tornado swept through Foreman in Little River County at 4:22 p.m. Sunday, downing trees and flooding roads. A dispatcher at the Little River County sheriff's office said no injuries had been reported as of late Sunday.

Another possible tornado touched down at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Fordyce, downing trees, but no injuries were reported as of late Sunday, said Cary Dunn, Dallas County Office of Emergency Management coordinator.

"We've got people out there looking to make sure everybody is OK," Dunn said. "So far, we don't know of any injuries or severe damage."

NW News on 12/28/2015

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