Officials in northeast Arkansas were inspecting an eroded flood levee that's holding back an elevated river Thursday following heavy downpours this week with more rain potentially on its way.
Jackson County officials have been urging residents to leave homes within a broad swath of mainly farmland after an estimated six inches of rain fell in the area this week and brought the White River to flood stages.
The rains weakened a levee system, putting some 30 homes at risk of flooding if it doesn't hold, Jackson County Judge Jeff Phillips said Thursday. He issued a warning advising residents to evacuate an area south of Newport and east of the White River and extending into Woodruff County.
Inspectors with the Army Corps of Engineers were planning to review the parts of the levee that were damaged on Thursday morning. Overall, the levee appeared to be holding as the river reached top levels Thursday, which Phillips said was "a good sign."
"We're coming up with a plan with what the [levee] district needs to do," he said. "But we need the river to come down in order to see it."
The National Weather Service said it expects the river to crest at about 30 feet Thursday before receding.
Travis Shelton, a meteorologist with the agency, said light rain expected Friday and Saturday shouldn't have a significant impact on the river's level.
Forecasters were also monitoring potential rains for early next week, but anticipated totals won't be known until later. Early predictions call for 30 to 50 percent chance of rain on Tuesday.
Still, the warning of floods was rare for winter, Shelton said.
"We don't expect flooding like this usually until March," he said.
Residents in Jackson and Woodruff counties, meanwhile, were stacking sandbags to try to reinforce the White River levee and stave off potential floodwaters from reaching their homes.
According to records in 2016, the Corps of Engineers noted deteriorating parts of the levee, saying it could cause "potential loss of life" and rack up over $60 million in damages if it fails.
County officials put $100,000 in upgrades into the system last year, but the work didn't appear to settle and harden before rains this week. Parts of the more than 22-mile-long levee will likely need to be replaced, Phillips said.
Officials plan to review next steps following Thursday morning's survey.
NW News on 02/15/2019