Thunderstorms rolled across flood-soaked Arkansas on Wednesday afternoon and evening, dumping as much as 4 inches of rain in some areas.
Experts do not expect the localized flooding to increase the crest levels of the Arkansas River, but it will slow receding of the water, said Tabitha Clarke, a hydrologist with the North Little Rock branch of the National Weather Service.
"It's just going to fall on top of what's already out there," Clarke said.
She said the situation would be much worse if the rain had fallen into Oklahoma lakes, where the flooding began before moving down the Arkansas River.
"It's not an ideal situation, but it's actually not as bad as if it had affected those lakes," said Clarke, explaining that more rain in Oklahoma would have increased the river's crest levels farther downstream.
In central Arkansas, the heaviest rain Wednesday was between Bryant and Little Rock and in Van Buren County, Clarke said.
Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Jason Weaver said Wednesday night that the department had seen flooding in several areas of Little Rock, including southwest, downtown and the western parts of the city. Firefighters pulled several motorists from flooded cars.
"It's put a lot of people in precarious situations," Weaver said.
Also between Bryant and Little Rock, Clarke received reports of funnel clouds and fallen trees. Funnel clouds were also reported in Randolph County, where trees toppled during a storm.
Clarke said the ground is so saturated that wind can more easily topple trees.
Metro on 05/30/2019