Washington County's swift water rescue team responded to calls from trapped vehicles and people trapped in their homes during a flash flood late Friday afternoon that hit western Washington County, especially the Prairie Grove, Lincoln and Cane Hill areas.
John Luther, director of Washington County Emergency Management Department, and J.C. Dobbs, Prairie Grove fire chief, coordinated calls from the Prairie Grove fire station.
Luther said the National Weather Service out of Tulsa, Okla, issued a flash flood warning at 4:45 p.m. The first call seeking help because of flash flooding came in 30 minutes later, at 5:15 p.m. Friday. With rain pounding down for at least an hour, creeks swelled past their banks and roads became covered with water. Flooded pastures along the highway looked like small lakes.
Most people estimated the area received about 4 inches of rain in an hour's time. In all, 911 received seven emergency calls because of flash flooding, Luther said.
Within 1 1/2 hours, the flash flood was over and water was receding. No injuries were reported. However, the flooding left debris scattered in its wake.
The swift water rescue team, comprised of firefighters from area departments, responded to calls in the Morrow and Cane Hill area, U.S. 62 near Lincoln Hill, Ponderosa and U.S. 62, and Pridemore Street and the car auction in Lincoln.
Farmington firefighter Scott Murphy said the team responded to reports of vehicles stuck in water in the Cane Hill area but did not find any vehicles. In another incident, he said some men were swept off their feet trying to cross high water to get to a trailer. The men were OK, Murphy said.
Washington County Sheriff's Office reported flooding on Cove Creek North and Prairie Grove Lake Road with logs floating across one road, according to a news release posted online.
Farmington Fire Chief Mark Cunningham said the flash flooding caught a lot of people off guard.
"A lot of people were not necessarily trying to get across a flooded area," Cunningham said.
He reminded drivers that in most situations with flash flooding, the water comes fast but also leaves fast.
"If you stay put and stay calm, the water will recede as fast as it comes," Cunningham said.
Luther's advice to drivers coming up on flooded areas is not to drive through the water.
"After 20 years of doing this, it still amazes me that people will drive through floodwaters filled with debris," Luther said.
Dobbs said the situation could have been worse if the rain had continued.
"The fact that it was just a burst was good," Dobbs said. "If it had kept raining, we would have had more trouble."
The flash flooding quickly "relieved itself," Dobb said, and in most cases, the emergency team did not have to rescue anyone but stayed on the scene to make sure everyone was safe, he added.
"Rescuers did exactly as they were trained to do and the dispatchers did a great job," Luther said.
General News on 07/01/2015