The Latest: Arkansas city of 4,500 in danger of flooding
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Latest on flooding in the United States (all times local):
4 p.m.
Emergency officials are conducting water rescues in the tiny northwestern Missouri town of Levasy in the wake of a levee breach along the Missouri River.
Kansas City station WDAF reports the breach happened Saturday, flooding part of the town of about 80 people. Levasy is located about 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Kansas City on U.S. Highway 24 just south of the Missouri River.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were conducting the rescues by boat Saturday. Access to Levasy is restricted to residents only. Proof of residency is required to enter.
No injuries have been reported.
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3:15 p.m.
A temporary flood barrier at Burlington, Iowa, along the swollen Mississippi River has failed, sending floodwaters rushing into the city’s downtown.
The National Weather Service says Burlington officials have confirmed that a large, sand-filled barrier failed Saturday afternoon, forcing some businesses in the downtown area to evacuate.
The weather service has issued a flash flood warning for the area until 10 p.m. Saturday, saying a four- to six-block area of downtown Burlington is being affected.
Authorities urged people in the area to seek higher ground and avoid driving or walking through flooded areas.
The barrier breach is reminiscent of a similar breach April 30 at Davenport, about 75 miles (121 kilometers) upstream on the Mississippi River. That breach also sent floodwater rushing over several blocks of downtown Davenport.
Burlington, population 25,000, is about 170 miles (274 kilometers) southeast of Des Moines.
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12:45 p.m.
City officials in Dardanelle, Arkansas, are trying a “last ditch effort” to save the south side of the town from encroaching Arkansas River floodwater that is pouring through a breached levee.
Mayor Jimmy Witt said Saturday that he didn’t believe a temporary levee being constructed will stop the water, but that hopes it will buy time for residents of up to 800 homes to make preparations.
Officials say there’s no way of telling how bad the flooding could get, but that some residents are already dealing with it.
The levee at Dardanelle, which has roughly 4,500 residents and is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) upstream from Little Rock, failed Friday when the river tore a 40-foot (12-meter) hole through it. Officials say the breach has expanded a little and the water flow has slowed a bit.
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9:45 a.m.
Officials are knocking on doors in a North Little Rock, Arkansas, neighborhood and telling residents they should probably leave for higher ground due to the threat of flooding from the Arkansas River.
Officials say in a Facebook post Saturday that they believe the river will back up storm drainage areas and cause roads to become inaccessible for possibly more than a week.
City spokesman Nathan Hamilton says there are about 150 homes in the neighborhood covered by the evacuation recommendation.
Officials said Friday night that a nearby city levee had been breached and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning, but it was canceled when officials later said the levee hadn’t breached and wasn’t in danger of failing. Instead, a containment berm at a riverside petroleum facility had breached.
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