AR-16 Dead and Dozens missing in campground flash floods

[SuziQ]

My prayers to all involved. This is so tragic.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37637416/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001

Heavy rains triggered flash floods along a pair of southwestern Arkansas rivers around dawn Friday, killing at least 16 people trapped in remote valleys after the water rose as rapidly as eight feet in an hour.
Emergency worker said family members reported that three dozen or more people were still unaccounted for. Search-and-rescue efforts were under way.
Floodwaters inundated campgrounds along the normally peaceful Caddo and Little Missouri rivers, swamping hikers and campers sleeping along the rivers' banks. This area of the Ouachita Mountains includes second homes, hunting camps and a number of U.S. Forest Service campgrounds.

More at link.

 

[STEADFAST]

I just read that!! This is a huge tragedy. I have many friends and family in the area.

 

[SuziQ]

Sadly, the news gets more grim.

Flash floods swamped valley campgrounds along a pair of southwestern Arkansas rivers early Friday, killing 16 and leaving anguished families pleading with emergency workers for help in finding dozens of missing people.
More than 40 people were unaccounted for after the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers rose quickly overnight -- at times faster than 8 feet per hour, said Gary Fox, a retired emergency medical technician who was coordinating with families to determine who had died and who had yet to be found.
"This is not a one- or two-day thing," Fox said outside a command post near Langley next to the Little Missouri. "This is going to be a week or two- or three-week recovery."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/11/police-say-dead-arkansas-floods/

 

[SuziQ]

Camper talks about daring escape.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/videos/2010/jun/11/4033/

 

[SuziQ]

Survey of damage at campgrounds.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/videos/2010/jun/11/4034/

 

[montana_16]

This is terrible. How horrible for something to happen like this so fast people had no time to react.

My thoughts are with all those affected.

 

[Skittles]

"Part of the problem is that the registry that would have contained some of the campers' names washed away in the flood waters, Beebe told CNN's 'Campbell Brown' show.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management has received calls from relatives of about 73 people who haven't been heard from since the flash flooding, according to spokeswoman Renee Preslar."

Full article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/12/arkansas.campground.deaths/index.html?hpt=T3"

 

[OkGrace]

Hoping all unaccounted for are safe and will be found soon....

 

[keeponsearching]

I just watched the news. They had a flash flooding warning out at 2 am when most were sleeping. The river before bed was 3 feet deep by morning 20 feet. I'm always confused of flash floodings. I will have to research it. I hope these 70 plus missing are found safely.

 

[Dark Knight]

May the Lord be with everyone affected, may the missing be recovered, and may the deceased RIP forever, in Jesus' Name, amen!

 

[Cubby]

May the Lord be with everyone affected, may the missing be recovered, and may the deceased RIP forever, in Jesus' Name, amen!

Ditto! This is awful. I'm keeping those working the rescue and recovery efforts in my prayers as well. What a terrible time for this to happen while everyone was sleeping. My prayers to the families of those who lost loved ones.

 

[Cher352]

Another article with some harrowing accounts from a few of the campers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/us/13flood.html

God be with all the searchers, survivors, victims and families of these people.

 

[SuziQ]

Victims identified in Albert Pike Campground, Arkansas flash flood
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=106454&catid=2&GID=eZJximPJkR7fu8tAHg8vy3dMJqb56bvnYd8nwrMRt6g%3D

 

[OkGrace]

I just watched the news. They had a flash flooding warning out at 2 am when most were sleeping. The river before bed was 3 feet deep by morning 20 feet. I'm always confused of flash floodings. I will have to research it. I hope these 70 plus missing are found safely.

Flash flooding is rapid flooding.

I have been been rescued twice in my life, nothing near the magnitude of this one.

Once when I was a young child with a fatality involved and once as an adult.

Rising water is very scary, you have to stay calm. It sounds like these people did not have a chance......

You cannot control Mother nature.

 

[SuziQ]

Arkansas flood toll now 19, 1 missing

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/13/arkansas.campground.deaths/index.html?hpt=T3