No severe flooding in Northwest Arkansas from steady rainfall

BENTONVILLE -- Four days of rain closed some roads and stranded some campers near the Illinois River, but widespread flooding didn't happen in Northwest Arkansas.

Siloam Springs firefighters rescued five people Thursday morning who were camping next to the river. Deputy Fire Chief John Vanatta said his department received a call at 7:37 a.m. about people trying to wade through waist-high water to higher ground. Vanatta said firefighters got the campers and a dog into a boat and took them to safety.

The steady rainfall didn't cause severe flooding issues for Northwest Arkansas, said Joe Sellers, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla.

Since the rain began Monday, Sellers said 5.03 inches of rain fell at Northwest Arkansas National Airport, 5.86 inches at Drake Field in Fayetteville and 6.59 inches in Fort Smith.

"That's spread out over four days, and it's not unheard of," he said. Some areas in eastern Oklahoma reported 6 to 7 inches of rain, he said.

Lt. Shannon Jenkins, spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that War Eagle Road had been closed. Jenkins said the Sheriff's Office hadn't received any other reports concerning flooding.

Kelly Cantrell, spokeswoman for the Washington County Sheriff's Office, said some roads were flooded, but most were clear by Thursday. Cantrell said the Sheriff's Office had a report of a vehicle submerged in water on Mateer Road in the western part of the county, but everyone got out safely.

John Luther, Washington County's emergency management director, said there was a few road closings, but there was no significant flooding.

Steve Cobb, a meteorologist for the Weather Service in Tulsa, said the normal rainfall amount in October for Northwest Arkansas in October is 4 inches and the area has received 6.32 inches of rain this month.

The area normally averages 40.75 inches from January through October, and the amount of rain is 44.3 inches for the period this year, Cobb said.

Rain across Arkansas and especially in the southern portion of the state has relieved drought conditions, he said. Cobb said Benton County is still considered to be in a moderate drought, but recent rainfall may impact the classification.

The forecast for today is sunny with a high near 61 degrees and Saturday the forecast is sunny with a high near 63 degrees, according to the Weather Service.

Clear Creek flows under the pedestrian bridge Thursday, October 29, 2020, from the spillway at Lake Fayetteville. Lake Fayetteville is a reservoir of Clear Creek created by Lake Fayetteville Dam in 1949. Check out nwaonline.com/201030Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery.(NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk)

A pedestrian crosses Maple St. on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville Thursday Oct. 29, 2020. Visit nwaonline.com/2001029Daily/ for a photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T.WAMPLER)