Significant flooding is expected along the Arkansas River from eastern Oklahoma across the entire state of Arkansas through next week and into next weekend (early June). We have attached a few images to convey the details of this flooding.
Flooding moves down river basins and crests relatively slowly from one location to another as a flood crest or wave moving down river. As of this afternoon (Monday, 5/27) the Arkansas River was beginning to crest in eastern Oklahoma, but is not expected to crest in far western Arkansas until Tuesday. The flood wave is expected to crest near Fort Smith at Van Buren on Tuesday. It is expected to crest at Dardanelle and Morrilton on Friday , at Toad Suck on Sunday (June 2) , at Little Rock on Monday (June 3rd), and at Pine Bluff on June 5th and Pendleton on Friday (6/7).
Major to record flooding is expected at all points along the Arkansas River in Arkansas. This will likely cause flooding of property near the river, especially in low-lying areas. Impacts will be felt well out ahead of the forecast crest, so our best advice is to avoid going near the river, especially for any recreational purposes, during this period of high flow/flooding. A record flood is forecast along the Arkansas River from Toad Suck to points northwest. This flood along the river is expected to be the worst ever recorded flood along the river! Make sure to follow all instructions from local safety officials, and never drive past a barricaded/closed road sign. We want everyone to make it through this flood safely.
We realize that it's not raining in Arkansas, yet this flood is ALREADY in the Arkansas River. It is going to happen, take precautions now to protect your life and property near the Arkansas river before it's too late.
To make matters worse, a round of heavy rainfall is expected to fall over parts of western Arkansas from Tuesday through Wednesday where 3-4 inches of rain is in the forecast. If this doesn't amplify the flooding on the Arkansas River, it will at the very least prolong the flooding carrying significant impacts into the second week of June across the state along the Arkansas River.
Severe weather will also be possible with these additional storms with the primary threats being damaging winds, heavy rainfall and isolated tornadoes. The primary threat for severe storms is Tuesday night and again on Wednesday.
We will update graphics each afternoon, but please see
https://www.weather.gov/lzk/wxcntl4.htm and
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=LZK
for the latest river forecast information!
Dennis Cavanaugh
Meteorologist, NWS Little Rock