4 months ago
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Spokesperson Randy Ort says they will have crews on call.
"Our crews all around the state know which areas our historically flood-prone, so all the crews can do is to be ready with barricades if we need to block a roadway and be able to do it quickly and promptly."
Ort says crews have been clearing out drainage facilities in prepartation of more rain, but he says sometimes the water rises too quickly and offers this advice.
"If you see water over the roadways do not cross it. It only takes a few inches of water to be able to move a vehicle especially if it's flowing side to side. It just doesn't take a lot to cause a catostrophe."
With 5 to 7 inches of rainfall in the forecast many roadways may be impacted and lakes and rivers will be on the rise.
The Corps of Engineers has 12 flood damage reduction lakes throughout the state and will be monitoring the rising water.
P.J. Spaul with the Corps of Engineers says they're monitoring the situation closely.
"We'll be capturing water in those lakes to knock the tops off the flood crest downstream to keep them from being as severe downstream not causing as much damage," explains Spaul.
Spaul says those living downstream should have a plan in place.
"We do expect there to be flooding going on in the lower ends of the river basins and folks should stay tuned into the river stage forecast if they live or work in these low-lying areas," says Spaul.
Entergy Press Release:
For several weeks Entergy Arkansas and the Corps of Engineers have been coordinating efforts to reduce lake levels to accommodate unusually high quantities of incoming rain.
Entergy Arkansas, which operates the dams that control the levels of lakes Hamilton and Catherine, reduced the two lakes' levels Wednesday to the bottom end of the normal summertime operating range, which allows the level to vary by one foot on Lake Hamilton and two feet on Lake Catherine.
Based on new forecasts and consultation with the National Weather Service, the company decided this morning to take additional action today, lowering Lake Hamilton an additional foot and lowering Lake Catherine an additional six inches.
Lakefront property owners are encouraged to secure boats and docks against rapidly changing lake levels as a flash flood could cause a rapid refilling of these lakes. This is especially so in the upper end of the lakes where the major tributaries of Big and Little Mazarn creeks come in.
Entergy Arkansas, Inc. provides electricity to 680,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $13 billion and approximately 14,700 employees.
Also, residents should be aware of a higher volume of water in the Ouachita River below Remmel Dam. Entergy Arkansas will be releasing 10,000 cubic feet per second of water from Remmel Dam throughout this weather event.
Entergy Arkansas encourages all homes in the area to have a NOAA weather radio. In the case of a high-water emergency, Entergy Arkansas immediately notifies the National Weather Service, which issues an alert through NOAA weather radios.
The NOAA weather radio is also be used to warn of severe weather, such as tornados, which is also a possibility tonight.
THV's Meredith Mitchell will have more on this potential flooding coming up right here on todaysthv.com and also on "Today's THV at 6:00."
Source: Entergy
