OZARK, Ark. — Heavy rain on Thursday caused flash flooding in parts of 5COUNTRY, and one neighborhood in Ozark said it’s something they’re no stranger to.
“Unfortunately, we had not had rain in several days,” Ozark Mayor Roxie Hall said. “The ground was extremely dry and in an hour and a half, we got 4.3 inches of rain. It had nowhere to go but to rise.”
Hall said some businesses had to close, including a Casey’s gas station. She added a high school parking lot was flooded as well.
Some city officials said this was the most flooding they had seen in years.
“The amount of water that we received yesterday, in a short period of time, is the most I've seen since I've been superintendent,” said Michael Brasseaux, who works for the city’s street department.
One of the areas that was hit the hardest was around 35th and 36th streets in a neighborhood north of the City Hall.
Some neighbors in the area said it took just over an hour for their streets and yards to flood. The city said those houses are located in what they called a flood zone.
“On the south end of the city, we have the whole Arkansas River that flows along the city,” Brasseaux said. “There is a channel that is called Gar Creek that runs through our city. There are wide areas along that creek that are in a flood zone, and also a floodway.”
Some neighbors in the area told 5NEWS that they do not believe the city has done enough to fix the issues. Specifically, they want to see a better drainage solution.
One resident told 5NEWS that if the rain gets up to the floor of his house, he will consider moving from the home he bought more than 30 years ago.
Mayor Hall said she and her staff have done what they can to address the issue. According to Hall, the city has worked with the Corp of Engineers, and recently constructed a new bridge to help drivers avoid flooding.
Hall added that the city sent out petitions in 2020 in an effort to secure state funding, but did not receive enough signatures.
“I can assure you, we have tried every avenue possible,” Hall said. I could not ask for the guys that work here to do any more than what they've done… we have checked avenues with people that have property back there on 36th street to see if we can even go in behind and dig a trench. It is a top priority.”
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