More Spring Rains, More Flood Damage

Another round of heavy rains brings more flooding to Arkansas. Three inches of rain brought flash flooding to parts of the White County. Drivers passing Stanley Road outside of Bald Knob found a rough ride Friday morning. "It had ripples in it, like a washboard, about 2-3 feet deep over each culvert," said Carroll Burleson, who lives nearby. Thursday night`s weather, set crews in motion. "It was thundering, lightning, big time and raining hard," said Lela Arney. White County road crews set out to fix at least three washed out bridges and several roads. "We had a lot of washouts, a lot of water on the roads, but we`re gonna make it," said Gene Pollard, White County Road Department. Drivers will have to find an alternate route around a 120-foot bridge on Curtis Davis Road, near Russell. It is still underwater. The bridge on Stanley Road is a constant problem. It washed out this same time last year. The bridge there now is only temporary. "It took them 9 months to get this fixes where it`s at now, and now we`re having problems again with it," said Burleson. "Right in there, where that big pot of grass was," said Pollard pointed to the road over the bridge. "It was sunk down 12-16 inches, 2 feet wide. If traffic hit it, and throw the car straight up in the air," he said. It`s repaired for now, but with more spring rains ahead drivers are told not to cross roads with standing water. The county says they`re still in the planning stages to replace the bridge on Stanley Road with federal funds. Meanwhile, a couple of the counties nearby, like Jackson and Independence, say they received moderate flooding also, if any at all.