FAYETTEVILLE -- Flash flooding Thursday night closed two state highways in Washington County along with a number of county roads. No injuries had been reported by this morning.
The state Department of Transportation reported Arkansas 265 north of Strickler was closed to traffic at 9 p.m. A culvert failed and the highway will remain closed until the structure is replaced, according to the department.
Arkansas 220 is closed south of Devil's Den State Park, according to the Highway Department. The highway was closed about 10 p.m. when a landslide covered all lanes of a section of the road between Arkansas 170 and North Lee Creek Road. The highway will remain closed until the material is removed.
Washington County officials said they had one major problem along with numerous road closings and reports of minor damage. Charles Ward, the county's road superintendent, said the approach to a bridge on Malico Mountain Road near the junction with Arkansas 265 is closed.
"We've still got people out working," Ward said midmorning. "We had people out till about 3 a.m. and we're back at it today."
Ward said the county posted people at some of the road closings to prevent drivers from going through the barriers and into the flood water.
Capt. Ti Augustine with the Washington County Sheriff's office, said there was one report of a GMC Sierra driving into high water in the area of Bethel Blacktop Road and Shamrock Road about 11:15 p.m. "There were two people in the vehicle and they both got out," Augustine said this morning. "We have a report of a truck found in a field off Shamrock Road that we think is the same one. We have a deputy out now to make sure."
Augustine said the Sheriff's Office has a list of county roads that are closed on its Facebook page and the list is updated as the status of the roads change.
Robert McGowen, head of Benton County's Department of Emergency Management, said there were no major issues in the county. Jay Frasier, head of the Benton County Road Department, said high water in the Illinois River near Siloam Springs prompted the closing of the kayak park at Fisher Ford Bridge but otherwise the county's roads and bridges were in good condition.
A driver to be rescued after attempting to drive across a flooded Fisher Ford Road near the Siloam Springs Kayak Park.
Carl Gales, chief of staff for Washington County Judge Joseph Wood, said county roads crews will work all weekend to get temporary repairs on roads that were "scoured" by flood water going across the roadways. He said it will be next week before the county has an idea how much repairing the damage will cost.