Local news tonight

This was on the Kait 8 website tonight and dad was on the news. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers please.


WHITE HALL, AR (KAIT) - More rain Saturday pushed the water level higher along the L'Anguille River in Poinsett County. Officials with the Poinsett County Sheriff's Office said several people have reported flooded homes. The worst flooding is along Highway 214 near White Hall, according to the sheriff's office.

"I've seen quite a bit of flooding, especially out on the county roads. I've started to turn down several of the county roads and there was too much water so I decided not to," said Thomas Graves with the Poinsett County Sheriff's Office.

According to Graves, the west end of Highway 214 between White Hall and Fisher is submerged and impassable for smaller vehicles. Ditches have been filling up in the area, and rice and soybean fields are beginning to fill to capacity.

"The ditches are full. The fields between the L'Anguille River on 214 look like oceans. They're full and therefore I believe that as they're overflowing and filling the ditches, then the ditches are going to overflow onto the highways out there," said Graves.

The forecast is bleak for some families along Highway 214. It isn't expected to stop raining until Monday.

"I understand that it's going to continue to rain for several days, and if it does, I'm afraid we're going to have some very serious problems," said Graves.

One family with problems lives along Highway 214. Richard Sanders has lived in Poinsett County for 30 years and has been flooded 3 times. If the flood waters from the L'Anguille River rise another 6 inches, then his home will be flooded a 4th time.

"I would say, right now, that water would be 6 inches deep in my house if it comes over that levee," said Sanders.

Sanders said the county has given him 200 unfilled sandbags to stop the waters from flooding his home. He was out Saturday with his son-in-law, family friend and pastor filling sandbags. Sanders also has 3 re-lift pumps running to keep water out of his yard.

"We're building a retaining wall with sandbags to stop the flooding from going into his house. We're doing about as much as we can, and then there's just so much until the river overflows into there," said Pastor Zac Minton.

Sanders said he built a retaining wall 3 years ago to prevent his home from being flooded. It's as elevated as Highway 214, but water is threatening to run over it. Sanders' home is on the southern side of the highway.

"The water's never been this high and it's just, it's going to top it if we don't sandbag. We're just fighting Mother Nature," said Sanders. "I'm hoping there's a break in this rain because it seems like we're fighting a losing cause here."

Sander said his primary concern is with the forecast; however, he also uses a boat to get to his 87-year old mother-in-law's home, which is located 100 yards from his home and surrounded by flood water.

"From what I'm gathering, there's not going to be any let up in the water until Monday morning, and some more heavy stuff, so I'm very concerned about it and we're doing everything we can at this point to try to keep it from coming over the levee. We've got 3 re-lifts that's pumping water out of the yard back over the levee, but if it comes over the levee, we will flood," said Sanders.

Sanders and Minton said they'll continue to make sandbags until they either run out or their efforts go to waste.

"You just do what you can do, you know, and then all the rest is just up to God or somebody else, but you just do what you can and hope for the best," said Minton.

"I'm praying that it don't. That's all I can do is hope and pray and keep fighting. We'll keep piling sandbags and hope for the best," said Sanders. "We're doing all we can do and hoping and praying that it'll be enough."