The Arkansas River is flowing past the north pier of the US Highway 79 bridge near Pine Bluff, Arkansas at 46.09 feet, early in the afternoon on January 2, 2016. Twenty-four hours later, the flood crested at 46.24 feet. Flood stage is 42 feet. The numbers on the pier are not depth numbers. They tell river pilots the distance from the water level to the bottom of the bridge structure.
Just about seven months to the day, in 2015, the Arkansas River wrathfully overflowed its banks. The effect here in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Jefferson County was bad for all and catastrophic for many.
Click the pic to see more flood pictures and an “under-the-bridge” flood video
The first watery overabundance in 2015, came the last of May and first of June. The river peaked out at 45.46 feet.
The last time, a day or so ago, the last of December and the first of January, the waters flew by the bridge at 46.09 feet. It was as if the river was telling us it learned a new and nastier trick or two since last June. See more pictures and a video of the river at the bridge on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot-com.
Hundreds of families in our neck of the woods are now taking shelter elsewhere from their residences again. When they return to their domiciles, they will be greeted with a second onslaught of mud-covered floors and scattered goods and detritus, jetsam and flotsam, none of which will approach pleasantry by a long stretch.
A few flood pictures
A river navigation marker west of the bridge barely escapes submersion
The same navigation marker from a view downstream than the one above.
This shop took in some water, but the family home across the road was fortunately high and dry.
The hangar and headquarters for the local radio-controlled model airplane club was inundated. The location, other than being at a low place, is ideal for its use. Club members removed anything that might be damaged by water well in advance of the flood. They’ll do the same thing next time.
That’s how we are starting our year here in LA (lower Arkansas). Hopefully, we are getting our ration of disasters out of the way on the front end. We hope. Fingers crossed.
Happy New Year!
Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html
Filed under: Behind the Scenes, but wait, there's more |
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind 
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