County largely spared despite Gustav’s potential for flooding
Posted on Thursday, September 4, 2008
BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Arkansas Times Nicki Jones runs across the street with a broken umbrella Wednesday after enjoying dinner on Dickson Street as tropical depression Gustav rains on Northwest Arkansas.
Washington County sustained minimal flood damage Wednesday, despite being pounded by more than two inches of rain.
"The creeks are full from what I've observed," said John Luther, Washington County emergency management director. "If this keeps up, things will begin to fill up and problems may arise. Depending on how long it falls and at what rate, will determine the severity. Hopefully, the tributaries and storm drains will continue to manage it."
Washington County was among several in Arkansas and Oklahoma that remained under a flood warning for most of Wednesday as Gustav, the hurricane-turnedtropical depression, moved through the area.
At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, National Weather Service forecaster Pete Snyder said the depression was located to the northwest of Texarkana, about 105 miles south of Fort Smith.
"It hasn't moved much at all," he said. "In fact, it didn't look much different this morning than it did around 10 p.m. last night. The drift has been north / northeast at about 2 miles per hour. That just means that the same areas will continue to get rain."
As of about 2: 30 p.m. Wednesday, Fayetteville had received about 2. 5 inches of rainfall, bringing the total amount of rain since Tuesday to about 3. 8 inches. Sny- der predicted off and on periods of light and heavy rain across Washington County through Wednesday night, possibly up to about an inch of rainfall, and tapering off after midnight with about a 30 percent chance for rain today.
Despite receiving heavy amounts of rainfall within a short period, area officials said flood damage in Washington County was minimal, as of Wednesday afternoon.
"We've only had a few problems," said Shawn Shrum, assistant superintendent for the Washington County Road Department. "We had some flooding near the Tilly Willy Bridge and had to close it for the day. There were also a few trees down across the road throughout the county."
About 64 area residents were briefly without power in southern Washington County Wednesday, due to downed trees, according to Southwestern Electric Power Co. spokesman Scott McCloud. The outage affected about 45 residents in Fayetteville near Treadwell Street and about 13 in south Fayetteville near Krupa Drive.
"There was a tree inside the right of way," McCloud said. "A pine tree pushed two lines together. We went out there and trimmed the trees and strengthened the slack to restore power."
Luther attributed limited flood damage in Washington County to better preparation.
"We know there's a lot of rain out there," he said. "People are aware of it because they've watched the hurricane coverage and had time to prepare. Most of the time, we don't pay as close attention to the weather, and we get caught off guard."
Johnson Police Department spokesman John Taylor said recent street improvements prevented many flood-related issues. Ball Street, he said, was the only area that sustained major flooding. The street was blocked off for most of Wednesday.
"That's the one near a low-water bridge, and it always goes under water when it rains," Taylor said. "Everything else looks good since the improvements near James at the Mill. We're keeping our fingers crossed."
Despite limited flood damage across the area, forecasters warned of potential flash flooding overnight Wednesday, particularly during bands of heavier rain.
According to the National Weather Service, flash floods occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, a dam or levee failure or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam. Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Most flash flooding is caused by slow-moving thunderstorms, thunderstorms repeatedly moving over the same area, or heavy rains from hurricanes and tropical storms.
Emergency officials warn area residents not to drive across areas where water covers the road.
"Don't be deceived, and don't take chances," Luther said. "Listen to the National Weather Service when they say'Turn around, don't drown. ' Unfortunately, a lot of people risk their better judgment, as well as the lives of others."
Officials with the Fayetteville Police Department said most rainy weather car accidents occur when motorists drive too fast for conditions, follow too closely, fail to yield or drive carelessly.
Police provided the following safety tips for motorists during rainy weather • Allow a safe driving distance, at least three seconds of space between vehicles.
• Slow down. The faster a person drives, the greater the risk of hydroplaning. Allow additional travel time.
• Make sure windshield wipers are in proper working order. Arkansas state law also requires motorists to turn on their headlights when windshield wipers are in use.
• Never drive through moving water. It only takes a few inches of water to sweep away a vehicle.
• Give 100 percent attention to driving. Inattention is a common contributor to crashes.
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