May 3, 2017
Powerful storms moved through Arkansas last weekend. The high winds and heavy rain were blamed for seven deaths and Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency.
Some of the higher 24-hour rainfall totals reported by the National Weather Service included 10.59 inches at Rogers, 10.12 at Elm Springs, 9.1 inches at Farmington, and 8.5 inches at Savoy, 7.85 inches at Guy and 7.82 inches at Georgetown.
“There is major flooding along Current and Little Black rivers in western Clay County and thousands of acres of rice and corn will be impacted,” said Stewart Runsick, Extension staff chair for Clay County at Corning, Ark. “I am sure replanting will be necessary in many fields. We had the best stand of corn that I had seen in many years.”
In several counties, the rain and flooding eroded or destroyed levees, washing out rice fields.
Read more about the damage in Mary Hightower’s Arkansas farmers awaiting impact of ‘big water’ and Flooding may turn accelerated planting into replanting.
100,000 acres lost
Approximately 100,000 planted acres of Arkansas rice have been lost to flooding, says Dr. Jarrod Hardke, the state’s rice Extension agronomist.
In his May 2 Arkansas Rice Update he says “the damage and losses will only increase beyond my estimate, not get lower.”
Arkansas farmers were off to an early, good start before the flooding, with nearly 90 percent of the crop planted.
Is there flooding in your area? Send us your photos of the flood to [email protected].
How long will submerged rice live? Hardke writes the answer is difficult because many factors are involved, including growth state, air and water temperatures, water depth and clarity.
“As a general rule, the breaking point for young, submerged rice is about 10 days… If the water is not off in seven days, you need to start actively working to get water off someway, somehow if possible,” he writes.
In May 2 Arkansas Rice Update, Hardke also discusses Replanting and Crop Insurance (see also USDA Risk Management Agency’s Fact Sheet about rice crop insurance).
Mother Nature had other plans
Jeff Rutledge’s Jackson County, Ark., rice farm is located where the surging Black and White rivers merge. In the May 2 USA Rice Daily he says, “As of now, the only way we can get to our farm shop is by boat. We are headed up in a plane later today to determine the scope of damage.”