KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |AR residents prepare for more rain

AR residents prepare for more rain

TEXARKANA, AR (KSLA) - Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has declared a disaster in 10 more counties because of heavy rain and floods that hit the state earlier in May.

Those counties now include Nevada and Howard counties. Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Miller and Union Counties are already on the list as major disaster areas.

Residents in those areas along with city officials are working hard to be ready in case heavy rains pour again.

Paul Hackleman, Director of the Texarkana, Arkansas Public Works Dept recalls the headaches from past flooding.

"The Public Works basement flooded from the storms we had May 2^nd," said Hackleman.

Texarkana, Arkansas city officials are not taking any chances of being flooded twice in one month, crews are sandbagging around low areas around City Hall.

"Once it came through the building it wasn't that high, there was about an inch of water in here," recalls Hackleman.

Crews are also busy trying to clear drainage ditches to prepare for the chances of more flooding rains.

"We'll have two to four crews on standby for the weekend and sign and signal crews if needed," said Hackleman.

Workers are in high gear Friday trying to patch flood damaged roads. County Road 76 in South Miller County is a picture of many rural roads in Southwest Arkansas.

According to County Judge Roy McNatt, his county has seen a flood of damage to the tune of millions of dollars.

In spite of all the preparations, Daryll Reynolds with the Emergency Management Department says the predicted rain is not their main concern.

"The main thing we are concerned about is the wind, the ground is so saturated it won't take much to turn the trees over."

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