Significant flooding will continue down the Arkansas River from eastern Oklahoma across the entire state of Arkansas through this week and into next week (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 (Thursday, 5/30) the Arkansas River was cresting in western Arkansas, but is not expected to crest fully until Friday at Ozark. The flood wave is expected to crest at Dardanelle on Saturday (June 1st) and Morrilton on Sunday. The river is forecast to crest at Toad Suck on Monday , at Little Rock on Tuesday (June 4th), and at Pine Bluff on June 5th and at 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. Near record water levels will remain on the Arkansas River for several days, and this will put unprecedented stress on levees long the river. Any weak point along the levees will be tested as never before, and any levee overtopping or breaching will greatly impact the timing and severity of crests down river. This forecast assumes that the levees remain in tact all along the river.
We have a few dry days forecast along the Arkansas river through the weekend, however rain chances return daily along the Arkansas River basin early next week, especially across north central Oklahoma and south central Kansas. The 7-day forecast calls for another 2-3 inches of rain along the upper Arkansas river basin which will place additional water in the Arkansas River system upstream. Arkansas itself is expected to see another additional 1 inch of rain next week.
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!
The latest inundation forecast from the Corps of Engineers can be found at:
for the latest river forecast information!
Dennis Cavanaugh
Meteorologist, NWS Little Rock