Fourteen people were killed early this morning when flash floods moved through Arkansas, trapping several people. The first six deaths were reported at 3:13 a.m. from the Albert Pike Campground in Montgomery County. North Little Rock National Weather Service confirmed that campgrounds along two rivers, the Caddo and the Little Missouri in Arkansas were overcome as water rose over eight feet in less than 60 minutes. Because there is an estimated 200 300 campers in the area along the river banks, no one is certain whether the death toll will continue to rise.
Because of the time the flooding began, most campers were probably caught asleep in their tents and unaware of the rapidly worsening conditions. Bill Sadler from the Arkansas State Police said that they were not sure who was in the area during the flood but that the area was very wide. Searchers have been working their way up the bank of the Little Missouri River in an effort to rescue others who might be stranded, while the Glenwood fire department has been working to remove debris along the Caddo River to ease search efforts there.
The Arkansas National Guard is assisting with the search, deploying helicopters to help find trapped campers along the river since the area is nearly inaccessible by foot. According to the North Little Rock National Weather Service, search and rescue efforts may continue well into the weekend.
Brigette Williams, a representative from the Little Rock Red Cross Chapter, said that shelters have been set up for people in the area to accommodate those displaced by the early morning floods, and that the chapter was already providing care for 25 residents of Silver City Court Housing Project, whose apartments were flooded by the heavy rains.
As a result of the extensive flooding and continuing rain, we expect the Silver City Court residents to be in the shelter for a couple of days, explained Williams. As happens with flash floods, the families arrived with no more than the wet clothes they were wearing. We will be working with our partner organizations to help provide additional needs of the families until they can return home.
The Red Cross shelter, in addition to offering meals and a safe place to stay, provides victims with care kits containing tooth brushes, toothpaste, and soap. They also hand out teddy bears for children.
