City Could Receive Four Times' Weekly Rainfall in Three Days

A moisture-laden spring storm could dump four times' the weekly rainfall on the Little Rock, Arkansas, region in the span of only three days.

Rain began on Monday, and more storms will begin to move through the area by Wednesday morning, bringing heavy rain and severe weather, including widespread and strong tornados. Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are at the highest risk, but a flood watch and flood warning has been issued for some parts of southern Arkansas regarding the storms.

Up to 6 inches of additional rain is expected in the region after 3.5 inches fell on Monday night, NWS meteorologist Tabitha Clarke told Newsweek.

City Could Receive Four Times' Weekly Rainfall
Floodwater from the Mississippi River overtakes a street on May 30, 2019, in Saint Mary, Missouri. Flooding was a concern in Arkansas on Tuesday as heavy rain hit the area. Getty

"Widespread rainfall amounts near two inches have been common across much of the Four State Region through early Tuesday Morning with some isolated locations across Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana having seen totals as high as 4 to 6 inches," the NWS said in its flood watch report. "Look for additional rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches through the day Wednesday with some locations across North Louisiana and South Central Arkansas possibly seeing an additional 6 to 9 inches."

Typically, the Little Rock region receives between 1 and 2 inches of rain during the first week or so of April.

"It's not unusual for spring to get that much rainfall, but it is a lot at one time to get it," Clarke said.

However, for average rainfall totals from March 1 to Tuesday, Little Rock is behind on its rainfall amounts.

Heavy rain began falling yesterday, and several more bouts are expected before the storm moves out of the region on Wednesday. Rain will resume this evening, and more heavy rain will fall tomorrow morning at rates up to 2 inches per hour.

The excessive rainfall "could result in very serious flooding concerns," particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.

"Area waterways will continue to respond as well with additional rises (some significant) possible," the flood watch report said.

By Tuesday afternoon, a flood warning had been issued for the Ouachita River in the Little Rock area.

"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles," the NWS said in its flood warning report. "Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding."

The NWS office in Little Rock shared a map with the most severe rainfall totals to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. In southern Arkansas, Monticello and El Dorado were expected to receive the most additional rain, at 6 inches and 4 inches respectively.

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Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more

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