TRUMANN, Ark. — The constant rain is causing serious problems in Trumann, Arkansas, where some schools are having to close because streets are flooding.
A steady downpour of rain has put much of the city underwater and people who live here are trying to deal with it as best they can.
“I know we’ve had a lot of flooding at work,” said Whitney McGuire, who was about to head home from work Monday. “The parking lot was flooded past the curb and into the building.”
There’s a ditch in front of her house and it wasn’t looking good Monday morning.
“I don’t know if it’s ever been as full as it is today,” she said.
Trumann is prone to flooding. It’s has many of ditches that fill up quickly when it rains, not to mention all the water that filters into the city from up north.
“The flooding has been an issue for a while but, like I said, I think the city has been doing a lot of cleaning the ditches and trying to make room for the most they can,” McGuire said.
The school district dismissed students early, at one in the afternoon. Schools are closed again Tuesday.
Bus drivers were avoiding low-lying streets, dropping students off at alternate points instead.
“We’re very careful that our buses could get through it safely because they have the precious cargo on each one,” said Myra Graham, Trumann School District superintendent.
Students have been given packets so they can work from home.
McGuire, like a lot of people, has plenty of groceries at home in case she gets stuck.
In a Facebook post, the district stated their sewer system is not able to function properly due to the increased rain in the area. The district had also already modified some bus routes Monday morning due to the flooding.
“We’re very careful that our buses could get through it safely because they have the precious cargo on each one,” Superintendent Myra Graham says.
With this in mind, along with the fact that more rain and flooding is expected over the next couple of day, the district said it would be safer for students and staff to stay at home.
The downpour turned streets into rivers and front yards into lakes.
Rita Lancaster picked up one granddaughter at Trumann Middle and another at Trumann Elementary.
“Streets are flooded everywhere,” she said. “There’s water that deep in my yard.”
She knows it’s probably going to get worse as they days goes on.
“I might not be able to get out, but I’ll get in,” Lancaster said as she laughed. Luckily, she says she’s prepared if they get stuck inside, because she stocked up on groceries over the weekend.
“They’ve been talking about it for days with all this rain.”
