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No Relief For Ark. As Water Keeps Rising
FEMA Starts Damage Assessments Caused By Week's Worth Of Floods
A flooded section of a street in a rural neighborhood is seen, Monday, March 24, 2008, in Des Arc, Ark
Despite sunny skies, water continued to rise Wednesday in eastern Arkansas, where federal officials have begun to gather their first damage assessments in the week-long floods that have displaced residents and soaked homes and businesses in nearly half the state. The White River is higher than it has been in a quarter century, flooding properties and farmland. The river is expected to crest early Friday at Clarendon at 6.5 feet above flood stage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency collected reports Wednesday morning from field workers who fanned out the previous day to determine the scope of damage where the waters have receded. "We are getting a snapshot of damages within a county," FEMA spokesman Bob Alvey said. "The idea is to get information to Gov. Mike Beebe quickly so he can proceed with further requests for federal assistance for infrastructure repairs and for help for individuals.
On Tuesday, flood waters near Des Arc reached homes and businesses and pressured levees along the White River. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning Tuesday morning for rural Prairie County north of Interstate 40 after spotters noticed the levee had "sand boils" - water passing under the earthen barrier and appearing on the side like a muddy spring. By the afternoon, 100 volunteers held back the flow by building sandbag barriers for the water to be held in, creating pressure to stem the tide.
Thomas "Babe" Vincent, a levee district board member, praised the spirit of the volunteers. "We've had people here today from the other side of the river who aren't in danger," Vincent said. After heavy rains last week, major rivers overflowed their banks, inundating north and central Arkansas and driving people from their homes and businesses. Almost half the state - 35 counties - was declared a disaster area. Beebe, on hand to visit some volunteers at the levee, described seeing the "devastating" flooding from the air on a recent helicopter trip across the state. "It looked like just a solid lake from Batesville to Newport - you couldn't tell where the river was," the governor said.
Teams of state and federal officials were deployed Tuesday to examine flood-damaged buildings and businesses. Officials first put damages at $2 million, but said it would likely rise well above that once the waters recede. Meanwhile, residents in east-central Arkansas did what little they could while waiting for flood waters to subside. Donald Holland and his wife moved three goats and nine chickens to higher ground but were having trouble finding their turkeys. Holland was so distracted he forgot it was his 68th birthday Tuesday. "The water's about a foot deep around my trailer," Holland said. "I've got my boat tied up to my front porch."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. | Gewijzigd: 13 februari 2017, 12:05 uur, door Joyce.s
FEMA Starts Damage Assessments Caused By Week's Worth Of Floods
A flooded section of a street in a rural neighborhood is seen, Monday, March 24, 2008, in Des Arc, Ark
Despite sunny skies, water continued to rise Wednesday in eastern Arkansas, where federal officials have begun to gather their first damage assessments in the week-long floods that have displaced residents and soaked homes and businesses in nearly half the state. The White River is higher than it has been in a quarter century, flooding properties and farmland. The river is expected to crest early Friday at Clarendon at 6.5 feet above flood stage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency collected reports Wednesday morning from field workers who fanned out the previous day to determine the scope of damage where the waters have receded. "We are getting a snapshot of damages within a county," FEMA spokesman Bob Alvey said. "The idea is to get information to Gov. Mike Beebe quickly so he can proceed with further requests for federal assistance for infrastructure repairs and for help for individuals.
On Tuesday, flood waters near Des Arc reached homes and businesses and pressured levees along the White River. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning Tuesday morning for rural Prairie County north of Interstate 40 after spotters noticed the levee had "sand boils" - water passing under the earthen barrier and appearing on the side like a muddy spring. By the afternoon, 100 volunteers held back the flow by building sandbag barriers for the water to be held in, creating pressure to stem the tide.
Thomas "Babe" Vincent, a levee district board member, praised the spirit of the volunteers. "We've had people here today from the other side of the river who aren't in danger," Vincent said. After heavy rains last week, major rivers overflowed their banks, inundating north and central Arkansas and driving people from their homes and businesses. Almost half the state - 35 counties - was declared a disaster area. Beebe, on hand to visit some volunteers at the levee, described seeing the "devastating" flooding from the air on a recent helicopter trip across the state. "It looked like just a solid lake from Batesville to Newport - you couldn't tell where the river was," the governor said.
Teams of state and federal officials were deployed Tuesday to examine flood-damaged buildings and businesses. Officials first put damages at $2 million, but said it would likely rise well above that once the waters recede. Meanwhile, residents in east-central Arkansas did what little they could while waiting for flood waters to subside. Donald Holland and his wife moved three goats and nine chickens to higher ground but were having trouble finding their turkeys. Holland was so distracted he forgot it was his 68th birthday Tuesday. "The water's about a foot deep around my trailer," Holland said. "I've got my boat tied up to my front porch."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. | Gewijzigd: 13 februari 2017, 12:05 uur, door Joyce.s
Every cloud has a silver lining
Flooded Arkansas braces for more at week's end
Arkansans sandbagged their front doors and pumped out their flooded basements Wednesday as a historic crest on the White River moved downstream, and a flooding expert said the state will have to deal with high water for weeks. Residents and county officials along the river's path in east-central Arkansas worried that the river flows would hit an already swollen Mississippi River on the state's eastern border and flow back into their cotton and wheat fields.
Workers use sandbags to try to stop a leak from a levee, Tuesday near Des Arc, Arkansas.
I don't think anybody knows how much higher it's going to get, Monroe County resident Marlin Reeves said as overcast skies threatened rain. Forecasters predicted a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms hitting the Arkansas prairie by Friday.Heavy rains filled major rivers in northern Arkansas early last week, flooding communities as the water moved downstream. Two people remain missing after the storms.
Karen Phillips, front, surveys her flooded neighborhood near Des Arc on Tuesday.
Gov. Mike Beebe declared 39 counties -- more than half the state -- disaster areas, while President Bush issued a federal disaster declaration for 35 counties on Wednesday. National Weather Service hydrologist Steve Bays said the high waters will continue to threaten communities in Arkansas for weeks. The weather service expected the White River to crest over the weekend at 33.5 feet, 71/2 feet above flood stage and more than a foot higher than it was Wednesday afternoon.
Klik hier voor het hele artikel
©CNN
Arkansans sandbagged their front doors and pumped out their flooded basements Wednesday as a historic crest on the White River moved downstream, and a flooding expert said the state will have to deal with high water for weeks. Residents and county officials along the river's path in east-central Arkansas worried that the river flows would hit an already swollen Mississippi River on the state's eastern border and flow back into their cotton and wheat fields.
Workers use sandbags to try to stop a leak from a levee, Tuesday near Des Arc, Arkansas.
I don't think anybody knows how much higher it's going to get, Monroe County resident Marlin Reeves said as overcast skies threatened rain. Forecasters predicted a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms hitting the Arkansas prairie by Friday.Heavy rains filled major rivers in northern Arkansas early last week, flooding communities as the water moved downstream. Two people remain missing after the storms.
Karen Phillips, front, surveys her flooded neighborhood near Des Arc on Tuesday.
Gov. Mike Beebe declared 39 counties -- more than half the state -- disaster areas, while President Bush issued a federal disaster declaration for 35 counties on Wednesday. National Weather Service hydrologist Steve Bays said the high waters will continue to threaten communities in Arkansas for weeks. The weather service expected the White River to crest over the weekend at 33.5 feet, 71/2 feet above flood stage and more than a foot higher than it was Wednesday afternoon.
Klik hier voor het hele artikel
©CNN
