ianstone
06-11-2010, 12:25 PM
BBC News: Updated every minute of every day (http://news.bbc.co.uk/)
UPDATE from BBC and the Telegraph
<LI class=av>Live BBC News Channel (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/news_channel_live/7459669.stm)
Arkansas floodwaters hit campsites and leave 16 dead
Page last updated at 01:05 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 02:05 UK
Captain Mike Fletcher told reporters "there is a lot of devastation"
At least 16 people have died in the US state of Arkansas after floodwaters hit campsites in a mountainous national park, state governor Mike Beebe says.
Two dozen people were taken to hospital and some 30 others remained unaccounted for.
Helicopters are taking part in the search in a remote, mountainous area in the state's south-west.
The operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers in the Ouchita Mountains.
Mr Beebe said the deaths had occurred at about 0530, when the floodwaters reached their peak.
A river gauge at Langley, just south of Albert Pike in the Ouachita National Forest, showed the water rose 8ft (2.4m) in one hour, according to the US Geological Survey.
The National Weather Service said 7.6in (19.3cm) of rain had fallen overnight.
Some campers described how they had to cling to trees for hours to survive.
The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins were later seen lining the banks of the swollen rivers.
The governor said damage to the area was comparable to a strong tornado.
'People trapped' Police spokesman Bill Sadler told US network CNN: "We believe there are still individuals trapped in the area.
Continue reading the main story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10297917.stm#skip_feature_02) http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48058000/jpg/_48058197_009509309-1.jpgFilm and photo links
It [pick-up truck] was just like a boat tied to a tree
Marc Marshall Survivor In pictures: Arkansas floodwaters (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10300090.stm)
"The primary mission of the Arkansas state police working with the local authorities right now is to get the living out of that area and locate the dead."
Officials were bringing in a refrigerated truck to act as a temporary morgue, he said.
The authorities warned that it could take days to find survivors or recover bodies because of the rugged terrain.
Police originally put the death toll at 12 and later updated it to 20, but the governor's office said the higher figure had been based on an erroneous figure from a rescue worker.
It is not clear whether all those killed were staying at the campsites washed away by the floodwaters.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48056000/gif/_48056668_us_arkansas_0610.gif Brigette Williams, of the American Red Cross in the state capital Little Rock, said between 200 and 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents.
Rescue worker Gary Fox said the Albert Pike Recreation Area, a 54-unit campsite in the national forest, was packed with families on holiday when the floodwaters hit.
More than 20 people were taken to hospital and another 60 were rescued from the steep Ouachita Mountains valley.
The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes.
Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water.
"It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down.
They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety.
National Guard troops are helping to look for those affected.
By Nick Allen in Los Angeles
Published: 10:04PM BST 11 Jun 2010
Previous
1 of 2 Images
Next
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01656/Arkansas-Flooding_1656189c.jpg
HomeNewsWorld NewsNorth AmericaUSAArkansas floods: dozens killed in campground 'tsunami'
At least 20 holiday-makers died after flash floods swept through a campground in the United States.
A convenience store flooded by the Caddo River in Glenwood, Arkansas High waters reach the Arkansas 240 bridge at Caddo Gap Photo: AP
Survivors described how the water hit "like a tsunami" in the middle of the night, demolishing wooden cabins and carrying away vehicles and tents with people inside.
The disaster struck at the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas, which is popular with hikers and families on holiday in recreational vehicles.
Related Articles
Australia's east coast a disaster zone after severe floods
Torrential rain brings flood chaos to parts of Britain
Fires engulf southern Europe as temperatures expected to rise
Scores dead as Indonesian military plane crashes
Swine flu: toddler in United States becomes first death outside Mexico
One dead, two missing after taxi submerged by flash flooding on Cornish coastA massive rescue operation involving helicopters and horses was launched in the rugged, mountainous region.
The worst hit area was the Albert Pike campground, where hundreds of people were staying.
Two dozen campers were treated in hospital and a further 60 were rescued having fled to higher ground. Officials said more than 40 people were still unaccounted for.
According to the Red Cross there may have been up to 300 people in the area when the floods hit.
Officials did not know exactly how many campers there were because many set up base at scattered sites across the hiking country.
The floods happened after two rivers, the Caddo and Little Missouri, rose by six metres (20ft) in the night, following heavy rain.
Janice McRae, who lives in the park, said: "A huge amount of water came down almost like a tsunami. A lot of families got separated. There were campers floating down the river, vehicles floating down the river, and trees washing up.
"We rescued two boys off the top of a cabin. Their grandparents were in the water and we got them out. It was a while before anyone could get in here because we had cave-ins on the road.
"One woman put her kids in a pick-up but before they could get it in reverse it started floating away. Another car crashed into them and threw them into the water. She was hanging on to a tree in the darkness." Stacy McNeil from Marshall, Texas, a camper who survived, said: "We huddled together, and prayed like we'd never prayed before."
The campground was packed with holidaying families, many of them from Louisiana and Texas.
Arkansas police spokesman Bill Sadler said: "The primary mission is to get the living out of there that have been trapped."
Officials brought a refrigerated truck to the forest to act as a temporary morgue.
The Ouachita National Forest sprawls over 1.8 million acres (700,000 hectares) of western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said: "They probably had no warning that the water was coming. It was a very rapid flash flood that inundated that area
They stood little chance, my respects to the people of Arkansas
UPDATE from BBC and the Telegraph
<LI class=av>Live BBC News Channel (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/news_channel_live/7459669.stm)
Arkansas floodwaters hit campsites and leave 16 dead
Page last updated at 01:05 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 02:05 UK
Captain Mike Fletcher told reporters "there is a lot of devastation"
At least 16 people have died in the US state of Arkansas after floodwaters hit campsites in a mountainous national park, state governor Mike Beebe says.
Two dozen people were taken to hospital and some 30 others remained unaccounted for.
Helicopters are taking part in the search in a remote, mountainous area in the state's south-west.
The operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers in the Ouchita Mountains.
Mr Beebe said the deaths had occurred at about 0530, when the floodwaters reached their peak.
A river gauge at Langley, just south of Albert Pike in the Ouachita National Forest, showed the water rose 8ft (2.4m) in one hour, according to the US Geological Survey.
The National Weather Service said 7.6in (19.3cm) of rain had fallen overnight.
Some campers described how they had to cling to trees for hours to survive.
The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins were later seen lining the banks of the swollen rivers.
The governor said damage to the area was comparable to a strong tornado.
'People trapped' Police spokesman Bill Sadler told US network CNN: "We believe there are still individuals trapped in the area.
Continue reading the main story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10297917.stm#skip_feature_02) http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48058000/jpg/_48058197_009509309-1.jpgFilm and photo links
It [pick-up truck] was just like a boat tied to a tree
Marc Marshall Survivor In pictures: Arkansas floodwaters (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10300090.stm)
"The primary mission of the Arkansas state police working with the local authorities right now is to get the living out of that area and locate the dead."
Officials were bringing in a refrigerated truck to act as a temporary morgue, he said.
The authorities warned that it could take days to find survivors or recover bodies because of the rugged terrain.
Police originally put the death toll at 12 and later updated it to 20, but the governor's office said the higher figure had been based on an erroneous figure from a rescue worker.
It is not clear whether all those killed were staying at the campsites washed away by the floodwaters.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48056000/gif/_48056668_us_arkansas_0610.gif Brigette Williams, of the American Red Cross in the state capital Little Rock, said between 200 and 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents.
Rescue worker Gary Fox said the Albert Pike Recreation Area, a 54-unit campsite in the national forest, was packed with families on holiday when the floodwaters hit.
More than 20 people were taken to hospital and another 60 were rescued from the steep Ouachita Mountains valley.
The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes.
Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water.
"It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down.
They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety.
National Guard troops are helping to look for those affected.
By Nick Allen in Los Angeles
Published: 10:04PM BST 11 Jun 2010
Previous
1 of 2 Images
Next
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01656/Arkansas-Flooding_1656189c.jpg
HomeNewsWorld NewsNorth AmericaUSAArkansas floods: dozens killed in campground 'tsunami'
At least 20 holiday-makers died after flash floods swept through a campground in the United States.
A convenience store flooded by the Caddo River in Glenwood, Arkansas High waters reach the Arkansas 240 bridge at Caddo Gap Photo: AP
Survivors described how the water hit "like a tsunami" in the middle of the night, demolishing wooden cabins and carrying away vehicles and tents with people inside.
The disaster struck at the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas, which is popular with hikers and families on holiday in recreational vehicles.
Related Articles
Australia's east coast a disaster zone after severe floods
Torrential rain brings flood chaos to parts of Britain
Fires engulf southern Europe as temperatures expected to rise
Scores dead as Indonesian military plane crashes
Swine flu: toddler in United States becomes first death outside Mexico
One dead, two missing after taxi submerged by flash flooding on Cornish coastA massive rescue operation involving helicopters and horses was launched in the rugged, mountainous region.
The worst hit area was the Albert Pike campground, where hundreds of people were staying.
Two dozen campers were treated in hospital and a further 60 were rescued having fled to higher ground. Officials said more than 40 people were still unaccounted for.
According to the Red Cross there may have been up to 300 people in the area when the floods hit.
Officials did not know exactly how many campers there were because many set up base at scattered sites across the hiking country.
The floods happened after two rivers, the Caddo and Little Missouri, rose by six metres (20ft) in the night, following heavy rain.
Janice McRae, who lives in the park, said: "A huge amount of water came down almost like a tsunami. A lot of families got separated. There were campers floating down the river, vehicles floating down the river, and trees washing up.
"We rescued two boys off the top of a cabin. Their grandparents were in the water and we got them out. It was a while before anyone could get in here because we had cave-ins on the road.
"One woman put her kids in a pick-up but before they could get it in reverse it started floating away. Another car crashed into them and threw them into the water. She was hanging on to a tree in the darkness." Stacy McNeil from Marshall, Texas, a camper who survived, said: "We huddled together, and prayed like we'd never prayed before."
The campground was packed with holidaying families, many of them from Louisiana and Texas.
Arkansas police spokesman Bill Sadler said: "The primary mission is to get the living out of there that have been trapped."
Officials brought a refrigerated truck to the forest to act as a temporary morgue.
The Ouachita National Forest sprawls over 1.8 million acres (700,000 hectares) of western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said: "They probably had no warning that the water was coming. It was a very rapid flash flood that inundated that area
They stood little chance, my respects to the people of Arkansas