Flash Flood Emergency leads to extensive damage (Developing with updates)

HEMPSTEAD COUNTY – Cleanup and road repairs are underway in the aftermath of a rare Flash Flood Emergency. The National Weather Service in Shreveport issued a Flash Flood Emergency early Wednesday morning for parts of Hempstead, Nevada, Lafayette, and Columbia Counties because of “life-threatening flash flooding.” This followed the earlier issuance of a Flash Flood Watch and Flash Flood Warning. The possibility of an excessive rain event had started to be noted by the Weather Service the first part of the week.

During the event, the National Weather Service reported “thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 8 and 10 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring. This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!”

Hempstead County Judge Jerry Crane and the road department have been assessing some of the damage.

Regarding CR 57, the rain completely washed out a culvert and cut the road.  County Road 8 photos were taken from the Patmos Road side.  One area washed out most of a lane and eroded under the pavement.  Several hundred feet of CR 8 were still under water at 12:30 pm Wednesday.  Judge Crane estimates it will be at least a couple of days before the damage to CR 8 can be repaired.  He noted there were no houses where the water was over the road and homeowners could access their houses either off Highway 29 South or Patmos Road.

Among reports from the National Weather Service:

Townsend Outdoors area: clogged storm drain resulting in repeated flooding along South Main in Hope…Flooding over the highway between Hope and Bodcaw…A 24-hour rain total from and observer in the Patmos area…6.51 inches of rain at Lewisville…1 mile NW of Stamps, law enforcement reported water rescue ongoing on Hope Road at Tatum Branch in Stamps,  vehicle swept off of roadway, multiple trees reported down, as well as power outages…flash flooding in Buckner area with roads closed.

Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton said up to 12 inches of rain fell in some areas of Hempstead and Lafayette Counties.  Sheriff Singleton said they responded to several stalled cars but there were no injuries.