Twenty-five years ago today, Garland County was recovering from some of the worst flash flooding in its history.
We pay tribute today to the enduring spirits of the residents and business leaders who not only persevered through the flood a quarter of a century ago, but rebuilt our community into something great and enduring.
It was not without pain, however. The wounds suffered by the residents along Lake Catherine, in particular, and the businesses along Central Avenue were deep and long-lasting.
Rainfall in the spring of 1990 was generally above normal in western Arkansas, but Garland County and Hot Springs were hit the hardest on May 19 and 20. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's report on the flood released two years later, the recording station in Hot Springs National Park logged 12.97 inches of rain within a 24-hour period from May 19-20, 1990. At Hot Springs Memorial Field, the recording station logged 11.52 inches of rain from 7 p.m. May 19 to 7 a.m. May 20. The National Weather Service forecasts had predicted only 2 inches of rain in that time. At the peak of the flood, the report estimates that Remmel Dam, which forms Lake Catherine, was overtopped by 2.66 feet.
The American Red Cross estimated that 335 homes in Garland County were flooded, and 160 homes were destroyed, along with the Carpenter Dam Road bridge over Lake Catherine, late the night of May 19 and early the morning of May 20.
Floodwaters 2 to 4 feet deep rushed through the downtown historic district. Visitors and businessmen reported that cars were transported downstream by the swift current, and smashed into other vehicles and buildings, the report notes.
The flash flooding caused an estimated $2.9 million in damages to private property and $2.4 million to public property.
Emergency agencies, to this day, should be lauded for their efforts the night of the flood. Even though city and county crews, law enforcement agencies, and volunteer fire departments were unprepared for the event, they made incredible efforts to keep the public safe despite the havoc.
Hot Springs police, with the help of the city's street department, used front-end loaders to rescue stranded people, while the Hot Springs Fire Department used its trucks to rescue victims who were in serious danger of drowning.
Nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, the Arkansas National Guard, local governments and the public quickly jumped in to help. Downtown merchants were amazed at the people who came into their businesses and offered to help clean up.
Then-Gov. Bill Clinton and former Arkansas Office of Emergency Services Director James Lee Witt set up camp in Garland County to help people get otherwise unavailable assistance.
A "comeback" rally was held downtown to show the world, which saw the devastation on television, that the flood wouldn't keep Hot Springs down.
In retrospect, the event did not keep our community down, but helped it grow stronger, despite the possibility that another devastating flood could occur at any time. That is why it is especially disheartening that events like the Majestic Hotel fire, and long-neglected downtown buildings, have only impeded that growth.
And that is also why, on the anniversary of one of the worst floods ever, it would be an absolute shame if any part of our city or county is brought down not by natural forces we cannot control, but our own neglect and decay. Let us show the world that we will not be brought down by our own shortsightedness and bickering, but rise above the flood.
Editorial on 05/20/2015