Flood in Clay County, Arkansas

Heavy rain during late April into the beginning of May caused the St. Francis River to rise above flood stage. The river rose to near record levels in the beginning of May and remained above flood stage through the end of May. A break in the levee in Butler County, Missouri, north of Clay County, caused some concern that additional flood water would move into Clay County. However, the water never made it into Clay County. A few homes sustained minor damage. Several roads were closed and/or sustained damage. Several hundred acres of cropland was flooded. A man drowned when his boat capsized in the flood waters.

Heavy rains continued to occur across the Mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley during the beginning part of May. In addition, spring snow melt across the Dakotas and Minnesota continued to create higher than normal river levels on the Mississippi River. The combination of the snow melt and heavy rainfall produced record breaking flooding on the Mississippi River along with the Black, St. Francis, and L'Anguille Rivers in Eastern Arkansas during the month of May. Numerous roads were flooded and closed as a result. Homes and businesses were flooded in the area. Many farmers lost crops or were not able to plant due to flooded fields. Four deaths from the flooding occurred.