A levee burst in the town of Pocahontas, Arkansas, caused flash floods after a weekend of rain in the Midwest.
Some of the 6,500 residents in Pocahontas were ordered to evacuate, as the National Weather Service called the flooding “a potentially life-threatening situation,” The Washington Post reported.
At least 20 people died in the storms, but the levee breach took things to another level.
These aerial images show the extent of disaster residents of Pocahontas are facing.
This aerial shot shows encroaching floodwaters which appeared to surround businesses and a highway.
Here's a look at Pocahontas area from @tracy_ann74 ... I added some markers for reference. pic.twitter.com/Gk6cE6QhtT
— Ryan Vaughan (@ryanvaughan) May 3, 2017
Here's a photo of the actual levee breach.
Here is a picture of one of the breached levees near Pocahontas. #arwx pic.twitter.com/Un4XFzGZDG
— Justin Logan FOX 56 (@jloganwxguy) May 3, 2017
Video footage appears to show floodwaters flowing over a section of the broken levee.
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Aerial video of the floodingand levee breaks near Pocahontas @KATVToddYak @KATVNews pic.twitter.com/ZK8MqqsMXk
— Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) May3, 2017
Aerial video of the floodingand levee breaks near Pocahontas @KATVToddYak @KATVNews pic.twitter.com/ZK8MqqsMXk
"The levees weren't designed for overtopping. When they go, we’re going to have a wall of water pouring out," Randolph County Judge David Jansen predicted days ago in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Levee breach at Pocahontas, Ar. #arwx pic.twitter.com/J2A9fuQoSK
— John Gardner (@aerial_patrol) May 3, 2017
Quote source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Here's Highway 37, completely submerged.
Black River floodwaters have covered State Highway 37 between Cord and Tuckerman. #arwx #artraffic #arnews pic.twitter.com/4DDCsWAvQE
— Arkansas Department of Transportation (@myARDOT) May 3, 2017
Footage from the Arkansas National Guard shows the magnitude of the devastation.
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Aerial footage shows floodingin Arkansas after torrential rains overflowed rivers and localtowns. pic.twitter.com/USISrgUNQw
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 3,2017
Aerial footage shows floodingin Arkansas after torrential rains overflowed rivers and localtowns. pic.twitter.com/USISrgUNQw
16 miles south of Pocahontas, an airboat skims the floodwaters in Portia, Arkansas.
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Air boat near Portia. #ARWX pic.twitter.com/q1kdvUPMgN
— Ryan Vaughan (@ryanvaughan) May 3,2017
Air boat near Portia. #ARWX pic.twitter.com/q1kdvUPMgN
In Reyno, Arkansas, 15 miles north of Pocahontas, an entire cabin was swept away in floodwaters and is destroyed as it crashed into a bridge.
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Cabin gets swept away inraging floodwaters in Arkansas, crashes into a bridge and getsdestroyed. https://t.co/Ut8RTtV2ZH pic.twitter.com/spaxoXNMET
— ABC News (@ABC) May 3,2017
Cabin gets swept away inraging floodwaters in Arkansas, crashes into a bridge and getsdestroyed. https://t.co/Ut8RTtV2ZH pic.twitter.com/spaxoXNMET