People in Leslie, AR, Evacuated Because of Flooding; Buffalo River Closed; LR Airport Concourse had to be Evacuated Because of Tornado Threat

People in Leslie, AR, Evacuated Because of Flooding; Buffalo River Closed; LR Airport Concourse had to be Evacuated Because of Tornado Threat
Reported by: KARK 4 News
Thursday, Apr 10, 2008 @12:10pm CST
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management says it has received reports of flooding last night and today in Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Crawford, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lonoke, Madison, Newton, Nevada, Phillips, Prairie, Sebastian, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Yell and Washington Counties. In Washington County there were multiple swift water rescues in the Brentwood area between Winslow and West Fork off Highway 71. Sebastian County also has rescued people that were stranded in their homes and vehicles. The Red Cross has set up a shelter in Fort Smith at the Grand Baptist Church, 3900 Grand Ave. that housed approximately 200 evacuees last night. A shelter has also been set up in Carroll County at the Berryville Armory. Other reports indicate that Marshall High School in Searcy County has flooded. For up-to-date road closings please go to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department’s website at www.arkansashighways.com The storms appear to be losing some of their strength as they move to the northeast, but they continue to produce torrential rain. As the storms roared through the eastern section of Little Rock at 11:30 a.m., the Little Rock National Airport ordered people to leave the concourse areas and take cover. They have since been allowed to return. Delta Airlines asks any passengers flying on their planes today to contact the airline. They expect changes will have to be made for some passengers. Some areas of the state are dealing with more flooding. The Buffalo River has been closed to floaters and boaters. KARK's Pete Thompson reports a number of people had to evacauate their home in the town of Leslie, AR, in north Arkansas. KARK also reports a portion of LaHarpe Boulevard behind the Peabody Hotel in downtown Little Rock has been closed because of flooding from the Arkansas River. Some towns in western and northern Arkansas report as much as 8 inches of rain within the last 24 hours. The National Weather Service has also issued River Flood Warnings for several areas, including the Arkansas River at Pine Bluff, Pendleton and Morrilton, the White River at Newport, Augusta, Georgetown, Des Arc and Clarendon, and the Cache River near Patterson. Rivers and creeks in Arkansas that have caused flooding over the last month are expected to swell again and bring more flooding. Stay with arkansasmatters.com and KARK for updates. http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?sid=61afc2e192cb0d5a483d0e7f804207e4&cid=68449