The recent (3/18/16) real-time report from the USGS Flood Inundation Mapper for Petersburg, IN, showed that the moderate flood would continue to decline in the hours ahead.

Without vegetation to hold the soil in place, flooding can produce mud and debris flows. [1]:7 The river at Van Buren reached 40.79 in (1.036 m), topping the previous record of 38.1 ft (11.6 m). Global Change Research Program, scientists reported: “The frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events are projected to continue to increase over the 21st century. Precipitation was above normal at all stations but the greatest excesses occurred in Montgomery and adjacent counties where some stations measured over 18" during the month. Floods Significant Arkansas Floods + The Great Flood of 1915 + The Great Flood of 1927. The rate of change in river stage on a real-time basis, which can help indicate the severity and immediacy of the threat. The Poteau River flooded in this manner near Panama and rises were documented upstream to Lake Wister. The Albert Pike flash flood event of June 2010 remains the most catastrophic flash flood event to date in Arkansas in terms of lives lost and injuries.

These statistical values are based on observed data. Land

(From. In Van Buren, the flood was assessed by the United States Geological Survey as a 1 in 200 year flood event. WATCH: The Arkansas River rushes under the 21st Street Bridge in Tulsa. In terms of probability, the 1,000-year flood has a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year. Antecedent soil moisture levels and water levels in lakes and streams were already high from previous rains, priming the region for significant runoff and flooding.

[5]:23, Between May 20–21, another storm system moved from the Rocky Mountains into Oklahoma.

[1]:4 Atop saturated soils, the rainfall became surface runoff which flowed into streams and the United States Army Corps of Engineers's flood control pools.

Eight rises of flood state or higher occurred at Camden on the Ouachita River, and the lower portion of the river was continually in flood from the latter part of February to the middle of April. The heaviest rains occurred on April 1, 1945, with many stations measuring more than 4" in a 24-hour period.

The rains also extended into southern Kansas and southwestern Misso… Flood stages were reached in March, April and June on the Arkansas River. Muskogee Arkansas River Flood: updated map and road situation.

Whether such a storm is tropical or not, prolonged periods of heavy precipitation can cause flooding in coastal areas, as well as further inland as the storm moves on shore. Severe Storms.

The flooding was considered a 1 in 200 year event near Van Buren, Arkansas, where the river reached a peak streamflow of 570,000 cu ft/s (16,000 m3/s). [11][4][12][13], Prior to the primary flood event, water levels along the Arkansas River at Muskogee had remained just below flood stage. Although the Mississippi Valley Flood of 1927 was recorded as the greatest disaster this country had ever suffered, the Ohio-Mississippi Valley Flood of 1937 was nearly twice as big! A surge of warm air and strengthening low-level winds during the nighttime hours instigated additional storm formation over the same areas. If it floods-stay clear of these areas.

For Arkansas, the major effects were seen at the confluence of the Mississippi, White, and Arkansas Rivers in southeast Arkansas. Highway 22 remained closed until June 4, three days after the Arkansas River initially crested.

This flooding caused the Mississippi to swell, setting the stage for a major disaster as the muddy water made its journey down to the Gulf of Mexico, bringing a path of destruction in its wake.

A warm front associated with the complex moved across the state during the daytime on May 20, followed by a cold front that swept eastwards across the state between the evening of May 20 into the following morning.

Feaster, T.D., and Koenig, T.A, 2017, Field manual for identifying and preserving high-water mark data: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017–1105, 67 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171105. Between May and June 2019, an extended sequence of heavy rainfall events over the South Central United States caused historic flooding along the Arkansas River and its tributaries. Thousands of acres of fertile land in these valleys were flooded, and many residents were forced to move from their homes. A back-up of water into surrounding areas can occur when a river or stream is blocked by a build-up of ice or other debris.

Questions? Considerable losses were sustained from floods along the Arkansas and Red rivers in Arkansas, but not nearly as great as along the White.

Although the Mississippi Valley Flood of 1927 was recorded as the greatest disaster this country had ever suffered, the Ohio-Mississippi Valley Flood of 1937 was nearly twice as big! Preliminary Flood Maps for Woodruff County Arkansas are ready for Public View. Fort Gibson Lake crested a day later while excess water was being released via Fort Gibson Dam. [15][27] While the homes were ultimately not affected, the flooding significantly impacted adjacent farmland. The problem was most acute in late May along the Arkansas River. Two of these instances were at record flood stage, including the Arkansas River near Ponca City; 25 of the 31 flood events were classified as major floods.

Motor homes, camping trailers, and tents were caught up in the flood. View all valid statements/warnings or choose a specific point or river to get the details for that location. In some locations the Arkansas River backed upstream into its tributaries, causing major flooding. In other words, the chances that a river will flow as high as the 100-year flood stage this year is 1 in 100. Map Help, Search by city or zip code. NWS

In seven states, 170 counties were affected, with populations totaling 4,459,238 and for the first time in the recorded history of Mississippi Valley floods, there was a considerable loss of human life. This flood attributed the awakening of the nation to the need for flood control, and the prompt action of the Federal Government in meeting that need. Does an increase in the 100-year flood estimate originate from climate or land-use change?

As a result of these heavy rains, most of the rivers in the state were in flood, and thousands of acres of bottom lands were inundated.

Caption by Mike Carlowicz.

[5]:30 The dominant trough over the western United States persisted, maintaining a southwesterly wind across the Southern Plains along which storms would travel.