Highway 63 at Portia was closed today until further notice due to the rising flood waters. Traffic is being diverted around Portia. Also Hwy 228 and county road 511 are now closed. The levee at Pocahontas is said to be breached in several places at this point and water levels are predicted to rise over the next few days.
Officials in Pocahontas are telling people to stop entering the flooded areas of Pocahontas  by boat just to look or take photo’s. The wakes these boats are creating are further damaging homes and businesses.
Residents of Coffman, Clover Bend, and Portia are urged to evacuate.
The Lawrence County Dive Team have members manning their facility in Black Rock on a 24 hour basis. They urge residents not to drive through flooded areas. If you need assistance evacuating please contact the Dispatch Center at 860-886-2525 for non-emergency, call 911 for emergencies. The Dive Team currently have boats and crews staged on each side of the Black River to assist residents. If you are in need of assistance leaving flooded areas, call the Dispatch Center.
A shelter is being set up in Black Rock managed by the Black Rock Fire Department with assistance from the American Red Cross at the old school cafeteria. Â They currently have cots for those displaced by the flooding. Â Imboden Live will post further information about any donations or volunteers that may be needed at the Black Rock shelter as we receive it.
For further weather information scroll down…
The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued Flood Warning for a levee failure in south central Lawrence County in eastern Arkansas  until 1130 PM CDT Wednesday.
* at 1126 am CDT, emergency management officials reported flooding
near Portia. Water from levee breach on the Black River at
Pocahontas will spread south along big running Water Creek.
* Some locations that will experience flooding include…
Hoxie, Alicia, Minturn, Lauratown, Clover Bend, Calvin, Strangers
Home, Coffman and Arbor Grove.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Please report flooding to your local law enforcement agency when you
can do so safely.
The Flood Warning continues for the Spring River at Imboden.
* From Friday morning to Saturday afternoon… or until the warning is
cancelled.
* At 9:45 am Wednesday the stage was 10.9 feet.
* Minor flooding is forecast.
* Flood stage is 18.0 feet.
* Forecast… although the river is falling, additional rainfall will
cause a secondary rise up to near flood stage by Friday morning.
* Impacts at 18.0 feet… lower lying cultivated farmlands and pastures
flood.
The Flood Warning continues for
the Black River at Black Rock.
* Until further notice… or until the warning is cancelled.
* At 9:00 am Wednesday the stage was 28.9 feet.
* Major flooding is occurring and major flooding is forecast.
* Flood stage is 14.0 feet.
* Forecast… the river is holding steady and may see a secondary
rise up to 29.5 feet by early Saturday due to routed water from
upstream and additional rainfall.
* Impacts at 28.0 feet… major flooding occurring at or above 28 feet.
Portions of Black Rock and Powhatan courthouse State Park floods.
Jacksonport State Park Riverside of levee floods. State highways
25, 37, and 69 will flood. 40 thousand acres of cropland flooded
in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties.
* Impacts at 28.5 feet… Highway 412 between Highway 63 and Walnut
Ridge becomes inundated by flood waters.
… Flash flood emergency for East Pocahontas!…
The National Weather Service in Memphis has extended the
* Flash Flood Warning for…
a levee failure in…
southeastern Randolph County in eastern Arkansas…
central Lawrence County in eastern Arkansas…
* until 645 am CDT Thursday
* at 828 am CDT, emergency manager reported a levee on the Black
River at Pocahontas failed causing flash flooding of immediately
surrounding areas.
This is a flash flood emergency for East Pocahontas!. seek higher
ground now!
* Locations impacted include…
Pocahontas, Walnut Ridge, Hoxie, Black Rock, College City, Portia,
O’Kean, Powhatan, Giles spur, Shannon, Dicus, Fender, Elnora,
Manson and Lesterville.
Flood waters are moving down the Black River.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
Move to higher ground now. This is an extremely dangerous and
life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are
fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.