Levee fails in Arkansas as flooding threatens South, Midwest
ST. LOUIS -- Forecasters are warning of a flash flood emergency for parts of northeast Arkansas after rising floodwaters caused a levee to fail.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Memphis, Tennessee, said the levee on the Black River was breached at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday near Pocahontas, Arkansas, about 125 miles northeast of Little Rock. Residents in nearby communities have been urged to seek higher ground.
The levee is 29 feet high and the previous crest record was set in 2011 when water rose to 28.5 feet, according to the NWS in Little Rock. The water reached 29 feet Wednesday, causing a hole in the foundation and threatening about 150 homes. Water rescues are ongoing, the NWS said.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said the flash flood warning is in effect until 6:45 a.m. Thursday morning.
Other areas of the Midwest are bracing for a new round of heavy rain, the last thing they need with rivers in several places at or near record levels.
Heavy rain last weekend resulted in a sudden rise in rivers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. After a couple of days of calm weather, forecasters expect 2 inches of rain or more in parts of the same hard-hit areas through Thursday.
Missouri has seen the worst of it so far. Five people have died in flooding in Missouri, and several towns have sustained damage. Along the Meramec River in suburban St. Louis, thousands of sandbags are protecting about 50 homes and several businesses in Eureka, and a levee is bulging at the seams in nearby Valley Park, where many residents have evacuated.
St. Louis County officials say 200 homes along the Meramec have been damaged in the flooding and another 1,500 are potentially in harm's way.
