Flood problems grow

North Little Rock, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, ADEM, is continuing to monitor the flood situation in Arkansas. ADEM has fulfilled requests for numerous sandbags throughout the day yesterday. While much attention is being focused on the Prairie-Monroe County areas, there are other trouble spots as well. At noon yesterday, the death toll remained at two for this particular round of weather. Those include drowning victims in Faulkner County on Sunday and a Prairie County man whose body was recovered on Wednesday. Bringing the number of deaths to 16 since April 25. Since mid-April, the overall storm death toll in Arkansas is 23.
ADEM once again reminds citizens that floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. Nearly half of all flood fatalities are vehicle-related according to the National Weather Service. Often, the heaviest rains fall through the night when it is harder to see how deep the water actually is. This is why it is extremely important to find an alternate driving route if the one you are on is flooded.
ADEM urges people to learn the dangers of driving into flooded roadways because drivers often underestimate the power of floodwater. Roads weaken under floodwater and drivers should proceed cautiously after waters have receded, since the road may collapse under the weight of the vehicle.
• Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
• 12 inches of water will float many vehicles.
• Two feet of rushing water will carry away most vehicles including pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles, SUVs.
• Water across a road may hide a missing segment of roadbed or a missing bridge.
• Because disaster can strike at any time, ADEM encourages everyone to have a disaster supply kit in their home and vehicle.
When there’s water on the road: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Saving your life is as simple as choosing an alternate route. If you are driving and your vehicle stalls in flood water, the best advice is to get out quickly and move to higher ground.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is the state's homeland security and preparedness agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to Arkansas by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies.