Storms hit region with flooding

July 6, 2017 at 4:56 a.m. | Updated July 6, 2017 at 4:56 p.m.

by Gazette Staff

Little River County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Garner motions to northbound traffic to slow down as they approach floodwater Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 71. The floodwaters were receding by about 1 p.m.
Little River County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Garner motions to northbound traffic to slow down as they approach floodwater Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 71. The floodwaters were receding by about 1 p.m.

A strong cluster of thunderstorms with heavy rain developed in Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas dumping 4 to 9 inches in the region, according to the National Weather Service in Shreveport, La.

Arkansas Highway 234 near Winthrop was submerged in floodwaters. The highway and all Little River County roads were closed because of the flash floods, Sheriff Bobby Walraven said.

U.S. Highway 71 south of Domtar paper mill in Ashdown, Ark., was partially closed Wednesday morning because of flooding.

At mid-morning Wednesday, the floodwaters had covered three lanes of traffic and the turning lane. The far west lane of traffic remained open. By about noon, the water had receded, and all lanes were open.

Radar estimates rainfall from 4 to 9 inches in the same vicinity as storms have essentially trained or repeatedly moved across the region.

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