YELL COUNTY, Ark. — Yell County officials said they’re worried about the levee systems as water levels continue to rise.
Yell County Judge Mike Thone said the main concern is that floodwaters will be high enough to go over the levees in the area. He said on Monday deputies started distributing flyers to people who might be affected, including homeowners in Dardanelle.
“There is a chance that the water could go over the levees and we are informing them to be aware,” Judge Thone said.
He went on to say that as of Monday, emergency management officials weren’t expecting the levees to buckle under pressure but it’s not out of the question as floodwaters continue to rise.
“As everything has prolonged days and days there could be a problem with the levees holding that kind of water back,” Judge Thone said.
He said if it did become a concern, emergency management would evacuate those in the path beforehand.
“We would hope that we will have enough notice to get the people out of there sooner than that,” Judge Thone said.
Although officials do want people to take those notices seriously, they don’t want anyone to panic.
They said just because you got one of those notes, it doesn’t mean your home will flood but it does mean you are at risk, so you should have an evacuation plan ready.
The Arkansas National Guard is also in the Yell County area helping homeowners prepare for historic flooding.
“The city has been successful in doing over 13,00 sandbags and some of our soldiers from the 239th have been out assisting with that, handing them out to the public,” Judge Thone said.
Guardsmen said as of Monday, the focus was to help homeowners prepare for the flood, but once the river crests they’ll use trucks to rescue people who have been stranded.
“Essentially a higher vehicle that can drive through deeper water that can carry 20 people per vehicle so in total 60,” Lieutenant Austin McGee said.
Lt. McGee said although the Arkansas National Guard isn’t leading the flood preparations or the search and rescue operations, crews are on hand to help with whatever’s needed.
“The Arkansas National Guard is here for the community. We’re trained, we’re prepared and we’re ready to help wherever needed,” said Lt. McGee.