State and Federal Officials Continue to Respond to Arkansas River Flooding
NORTH LITTLE ROCK— The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) continues to be fully activated daily in response to rising water levels and flooding along the Arkansas River. Every day the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) staff is joined by representatives from other state and federal agencies to support Arkansas’s response efforts.
Arkansas, Chicot, Conway, Crawford, Desha, Faulkner, Franklin, Jefferson, Johnson, Lincoln, Logan, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell Counties are affected.
As the river starts to rise further east and south, counties are requesting sand bags, sand and sand bag filling machines. There are currently seven sand bag filling machines that are being moved by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas National Guard to counties in the affected areas.
Levees remain a concern as they have never held back as much water for as much time as they have in the past. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas Forestry Commission patrol levees on a regular basis. Some levees are not high enough to hold back the high waters while others are experiencing weakness in their structure and are leaking. Local officials continue to monitor the integrity of levees and make recommendations for evacuations as needed.
Not all land is protected by levees and water is able to flood the banks of the Arkansas River. The Civil Air Patrol has flown over the affected areas photographing images for officials to analyze and make recommendations about protective actions.
The SEOC will continue daily activation during the duration of the Arkansas River floods.
Citizens affected by this flood event should take all safety precautions and follow the advice of local officials. If property damage occurs, and if it is safe to do so, take pictures of the damage. Citizens can contact their local Office of Emergency Management to determine what preparedness measures they should take.
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