Little Rock, Arkansas

Historical Floods

Floods are among the common natural hazards that America faces. Their effects occur either locally affecting a community or neighborhood or on a large scale, influencing entire river basins in several states. Statistics show that over 3,800 cities and towns with a population of about 2,500 are built on floodplains.

The residents of Little Rock, AR, are among the most resilient citizens in the U.S.A. The region has had several historic flood events, which will remain in our memories for several decades to come. During the flooding events, the residents lost valuable possessions, homes, and even their loved ones. In this article, we have highlighted the most historic floods that struck the region hard in honor of the fallen.

The great Mississippi flood

In 1927, the great Mississippi flood hit the Arkansas region hard. Experts claim it was the most destructive flood in the state's history. In Arkansas alone, the flood covered over 6,600 square miles, submerging around 48 percent of the state's counties. Disaster restoration experts in Little Rock, AR, estimated that there was a loss of over one billion dollars' worth of property. In current standards, that would be over 1 trillion dollars. However, the natural disaster had a positive outcome. The government built the longest levees and floodways in the world to prevent future floods.

Tropical storm IKE 2008

Among the various natural disasters that hit Arkansas, hurricanes do not click in the minds of residents of this region. However, a Tropical Storm Ike hammered the state in September 2008. The storm affected Texas and Cuba more than in other areas. However, Arkansas took the hit hard, and the government declared the state a major disaster area. The government decided that step because of the high winds, severe storms, and flooding. The damage caused by the Ike tropical storm amounted to 3.6 million dollars.

Albert Pike Flood 2010

Between the 10th and 11th of June 2010, Little Rock AR and its surroundings experienced heavy rainfall of eight inches. Flash floods swept through the region, affecting campsites and destroying property. Flood damage affected over 200 residents and left 20 people dead, including six children. The emergency management experts had a problematic search operation since the number of missing persons was unknown. Arkansas Department of Emergency Management recorded 73 inquires of disappeared persons during that period.

Deadly Flooding 2017

In May 2017, the United States experienced Tornado outbreaks for nine days. Nineteen states, including Arkansas, reported 401 tornado cases between the 4th and 10th of May. There were approximately 1,587 reports of significant hail and 740 reports of both wind and flood damage. The Tornado damaged property worth 4.1 million dollars while 42 people lost their lives.

Historic flooding 2019

In May and June 2019, residents of Little Rock, AR, and its surroundings experienced heavy rainfall that caused historic flooding. Between the 19th and the 21st of May, heavy rain occurred together with repeated thunderstorms. The natural disaster made the streams flood. The rising water levels in Oklahoma flowed into Arkansas on March 23, bursting three levees along with River Arkansas. The flood damage left several buildings inundated. Experts estimated that the flooding across the region caused damage worth over 3 billion dollars, and five people lost their lives.