LITTLE ROCK-More than 15 inches of rain had fallen in some southeastern Arkansas counties as of early Friday and forecasters were predicting 2 or more inches of additional rainfall and the possibility of isolated tornadoes by the weekend's end.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson added two more counties to the state's disaster declaration as the threat of flooding continued to cause minor evacuations, water rescues and flash flood warnings throughout the state. Hutchinson added Desha and Cleveland counties, bringing the total to 13 of Arkansas' 75 counties in the midst of flooding emergencies.
Rep. Mark McElroy, a Tillar Democrat, represents Desha and Chicot counties where some of the heaviest rainfall has been recorded this week. McElroy said Friday that driving home from Little Rock was difficult because many small roads and even highways had standing water.
"I've lived here 60 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said. "I'm not old enough to remember the flood of 1927, but by way of comparison, everywhere you look it's like there's lakes.
"It's like if you took a 5-gallon bucket and tried to dump it down the bathroom sink-the water just has nowhere to go."
He added: "There's no way to tell what the actual damage is at this point, until the water recedes. But it's going to be catastrophic."
Meteorologist Michael Brown with the National Weather Service in Little Rock said the eastern part of the state could see an additional 2 inches of rain on Saturday. Central Arkansas could see another inch on top of the 5 to 8 inches of rain that had fallen as of early Friday.
John Hart, a forecaster with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said the center is predicting severe weather over much of the state on Sunday. He said it could bring thunderstorms, strong winds, possible hail and a slight possibility of isolated tornadoes.
"Based on what we're seeing Friday, it does not appear to be a significant tornado event," Hart said. "But it's still two or three days out, so that could change. People should have a plan and keep an eye on the weather."
The American Red Cross Greater Arkansas Chapter announced on social media that it was supporting local shelters in a half dozen cities with significant flooding including McGehee and Dermott. Spokeswoman Brigette Williams said those shelters have cots, food, personal emergency care kits and kits to help with cleanup of minor flooding at homes once the water goes down.