Flood in Independence County, Arkansas

Heavy rain caused the White River at Batesville to go well above major flood level. The flood crest was the highest since December, 1982 and the second highest since the two upstream major flood reduction reservoirs were completed in the middle of the twentieth century. Water rose to within 2 feet of going over the U.S. Highway 167 road bed and more than 20 levee openings had to be stop logged closed. Portions of Batesville along Polk Bayou flooded and some of the business district near the river also flooded. Most of the town of Oil Tough was flooded and approximately 50 to 100 people had to be evacuated. Arkansas Highway 14 was closed near Oil Trough by high water. Riverside Park in Batesville was flooded and the new hydropower facility built in the old lock chamber on the river was isolated by the high water. The Southside Water Utility was also surrounded by the river and the swift currents cut through a small levee and almost destroyed the water intake. Most of the winter wheat throughout the county flooded and was lost. At least 10 homes were destroyed, 13 received major damage, and perhaps 50 more were damaged to a lesser degree.

Very heavy rain began developing late on the 17th in northern and western Arkansas, and continued on the 18th and early on the 19th as a powerful storm system approached from Texas. The system dredged copious moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and sent it toward Arkansas with a deep southerly wind flow. Well above normal precipitable water was noted, which enhanced rainfall efficiency across the region.