Heavy rains bring holiday flooding

Water stands in a field at Hargrave Corner [Click to enlarge]

The Rector area didn't have a white Christmas, but weather patterns certainly were intense during the holidays, with much of the area hit by heavy rains and, in some cases, flash flooding.

With reports of four to six inches of rainfall in Rector on Dec. 23 and 24 and similar numbers in Marmaduke, Piggott and Greenway, many people in the area were faced with water-covered yards and roadways during the lengthy downpour.

While much of the water receded over the weekend, several recessed areas still contained rainwater into Tuesday.

Below-freezing temperatures led to scattered sections of ice in areas which held water.

While most of the area rebounded quickly from the downpour, some locations were greatly affected.

The rains were especially felt throughout rural communities, which rely heavily on the estimated 1,000 miles of gravel roads throughout Clay County. In some places water washed away entire sections of gravel, covering an entire road and hindering travel.

County road crews have been hard at work grading affected roads and adding gravel to the scarred, jagged areas.

"When you have that much rain fall in that short amount of time, it takes a toll on those gravel roads," said Clay County Judge Gary Howell.

Still, while there was damage, Howell said the condition of the roads has been better than expected in most cases.

"They're really not that bad," Howell said. "There are some areas that are washed out, but I don't think the roads are as bad as they've been after some of the other storms we've had."

Howell attributes the road department's constant maintenance as being a key factor in limiting the damage.

"We're always working on those roads. It's a never-ending process. If we didn't then a rain like we had last week would just destroy these roads."

With 2009 officially being the wettest year on record for the region, Howell and the entire road department have had their work cut out for them.

"We haven't had any problem staying busy," Howell laughed. "That's for sure."