Monticello Live

The recent ice storm has produced fewer fallen trees and broken limbs than earlier predicted.

The top photo shows a tree that fell on Jordan Drive, Tuesday afternoon.

The lower photo was taken of a North Main St. home, Monday evening.  No damage was reported.

Around 10am, Tuesday morning, a UAM student was traveling back to class, westbound on Jordan Drive, when he felt his Jeep loose traction in the ice, “fishtail”, and then rollover on the bridge.

The driver was not injured.  Monticello Police worked scene, assisted by Arkansas State Police. The Fire & Rescue Squad was also paged out.  Dan’s wrecker towed the vehicle.

The AHTD provides statewide highway road conditions at 1-800-245-1672.

Around 10 am, the AHTD was putting salt/sand on the HWY 425 / Jordan Drive overpass, because of ice accumulation.

Roadways and sidewalks are beginning to become slick in some areas, so use caution as you’re out and about, today.

Around 4 am, Sunday, flooding was reportedly enter homes homes on North Gabbert St.

In an interview with the family, they said they heard water running, and when they got out ot bed to see what was wrong, their feet touched the carpet, and that’s when then knew their home was flooded.

The family told KARK and MLive that they had requested the city and state clean out a culvert under North Gabberrt St. that was clogged up with leaves, but no one taken care of the impending problem.

After their hause was flooded, the AHTD cleared the culvert, and the water (in their yard) was soon gone.

Also see the KARK report.

Monday’s light rain was enough to make a rainbow, which was seen from Drew Central.

Photo provided by a MLive reader.  Thank you.

Carpet Medics owner, Randy Phillips, is traveling to the east coast to assist to the thousands of homeowners whose homes have been damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Phillips says, “There are still hundreds of thousands of people whose homes are waiting to be repaired, and before that can happen they will have to be dried. The storm surge filled many homes with as much as 4 feet of sea water and although the water has receded the structures are saturated. There are hundreds of restoration contractors like us there but they can barely scratch the surface of the work needed to be done.”

(more…)

Last night, 1,442 Entergy customers were without power; at 3 pm, that number was down to 124.

The outage map is posted below, along with storm damage photos from State School Road, where two trees fell on a mobile home, as the family was trying to leave the residence, and another home at the intersection of S. Gabbert and E. Jackson, where a tree section fell onto a truck and home.

Some of you may be familiar with the “Shrimp Guy” that sells fresh gulf shrimp from time to time on the parking lot of ReMax. That guy is Todd Tassin and I am proud to say that he is my brother-in-law. He and his family live in Slidell, La just outside of New Orleans. He sustained knee deep water in his house from Issac. They are having to get rid of everything that was touched by the water as God only knows what the water brings in and he has three small girls.

This is the pile of stuff in front of his house after three days of gutting the house and ripping out sheetrock. Almost every house in his neighborhood looks like this. Police have to guard the entrance to his neighborhood to make sure people can’t just come take items from their piles as the insurance adjusters have to come inspect them before anything can be disposed of in any way.

(more…)

Several strong thunderstorms rolled across Drew County, last night, with strong winds, heavy rains, and dangerous lightning.

The first storm came through around 8:20, another around 11 pm, with 2 more storm systems (one near Florence and another near Lake Monticello) around midnight.

(more…)

A heat advisory is in effect for Southeast Arkansas today, and that will likely be extended further into the week.

Heat index values will exceed 105 degrees across the region with temperatures ranging between 100 and 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Heat index values as high as 108 are expected. Isolated heat index values will be above 105 degrees from around noon until 7 p.m. in the evening.

Some neighborhoods in Drew County have had rain for 5-6 days in a row.  It’s been several weeks since we’ve been able to say that.

A 50% chance of rain stays with us for at least another 2 days.

Thunderstorms moved across Monticello, this morning, bringing with it rain, and hopes of more rain.

There wasn’t enough rain to make a big difference in the recent hot, dry spell, but it did bring some welcome relief to local residents.

There’s a 50% chance of rain for the rest of the day, and a 60% chance on Monday & Tuesday.

Around 6 pm, following a good thunderstorm in the area, a woods fire was reported near HWY 133, south of Lacey.

Lacey-Ladelle and Valley Fire Depts. responded with trucks and firefighters, and extinguished the blaze, estimated to be around one acre, which is believed to have started by a lightning strike to a White Oak.

The Monticello Boys & Girls Club recently set up a 160 ft. long “home made” water slide for the youngsters to enjoy.

The Monticello Fire Dept. helped get it off to a good wet start, and MPD officer Chris Owen, a regular volunteer at B&GC also helped out with the project.

With temps forecast to remain over the 100 degree mark, the National Weather Service has continued a HEAT ADVISORY for Drew County, and most other areas.

A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM TONIGHT.

HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL RISE TO 105 DEGREES…OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE ACROSS MOST OF THE STATE.

(more…)

The Commercial Bank sign said it all, when it showed 101 degrees, Monday afternoon.

Remember to water your pets, and please, do not leave them in your vehicle.

Also check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.

The top story for the month of May was the Mississippi and Arkansas River Flood Warning, that covered Chicot and Desha Counties.

There was no regular online daily coverage of the event, so MonticelloLive stepped in, with total co-operation of the county judges and emergency personnel in both counties, to provide daily updates on the river levees and the battle to keep residents and property safe.

These two videos were viewed a combined total of 1600 times.

Arkansas Weather held true to it’s reputation. If you don’t like it, wait for tomorrow and it will change.

2011 brought with it a drought and long burn ban, and weeks of rain.  Many trees fell, some because of thunderstorms and strong winds, some not.

This video of February’s snow reveived over 500 viewings.

Wikipedia describes a sand-boil as, “effect caused by a difference in pressure on two sides of a levee or dike, most likely during a flood.”  This can cause a “piping ” effect.

There are currently 4 sand-boils in Chicot County, with the largest one being located near the Old Greenville Bridge (shown here).

Authorities are using sandbags to form a bordered body of water around it.  The water level of a sand-boil will go higher than the level of the river.  Sandbags can be added to make it taller.  If needed a large barrel, pipe, or culvert can be used. to keep the sand-boils from causing any damage.

The back section of the former Thrifty Chicks, also known as the old Tree-0 and Apples & Amens building collapsed, shortly after noon, Tuesday afternoon, likely under the weight of heavy rain.

Monticello Police and Fire Units responded, and Drew County Deputies also assisted.

The front of the top floor was reportedly being used as an office by Judge Clifton Bond, a retired attorney and judge.

Centerpoint energy was also called to the site to turn of the natural gas supply, which was smelled immediately after the rumble of falling bricks came to an end.

The building collapse was covered on TV by KATV-7 and KLRT-16, who used photos provided by MonticelloLive.com

Channels 4 & 11 were also reported on the event.

Shortly after Thursday night’s thunderstorn, a small alligator was seen crossing East McCloy Street by Drew County Deputy Steven Mitchell, near the city warehouse around midnight.

The alligator, estimated to measure around 2 1/2 foot long, was detained by city employee Charlie Hammock, with local law authorities present, and turned over to the Arkansas Game & Fish Commision.