FEATURE STORY
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‘How High’s the Water?’
County officials across Arkansas may have found themselves humming an old Johnny Cash favorite lately. Many Judges and their road foremen and OES supervisors, among others, could certainly identify with these lyrics:
My mama always taught me, that good things come from adversity, if we put our faith in the Lord. We couldn’t see much good in the flood waters when they were causing us to have to leave home but when the water went down, we found that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land. The following year we had the best cotton crop we’d ever had. I remember hearing “How high’s the water, mama?” “Two feet high and risin’” “How high’s the water, papa?” “Two feet high and risin’”
We can make it to the road In a homemade boat That’s the only thing we got left that’ll float It’s already over, all the wheat and the oats Two feet high and risin’
“How high’s the water, mama?” “Three feet high and risin’” “How high’s the water, papa?” “Three feet high and risin’”
Well, the hives are gone, I’ve lost my bees The chickens are sleepin’ in the willow trees Cow’s in water, up past her knees Three feet high and risin’
“How high’s the water, mama?” “Four feet high and risin’” “How high’s the water, papa?” “Four feet high and risin’”
Hey, come look through the window pane The bus is comin’, gonna take us to the train Looks like we’ll be blessed With a little more rain Four feet high and risin’
“How high’s the water, mama?” “Five feet high and risin’” “How high’s the water, papa?” “Five feet high and risin’”
Well, the rails are washed out north of town We gotta head for higher ground We can’t come back till the water comes down Five feet high and risin’ Well, it’s five feet high and risin’
COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2011 Hardly anywhere in Arkansas escaped some damage from spring storms and flooding. In this
photo, Washington County Judge Marilyn Edwards (red jacket) and other officials tour damaged areas in northeast Arkansas with Gov. Mike Beebe (center). (Kirk Jordan / Governor’s Office)
Storm, Flooding Damage
Q & A
By Keia Johnson AAC Law Clerk
JUDGE MIKE JACOBS, JOHNSON COUNTY: How badly was the public impacted in your county -- and are they still being impacted? Unfortunately, we had two fatalities here in Johnson County. But considering the strength
of the storm, we were very fortunate. We’re in a nuclear plant zone, so we get additional fund- ing for emergency management. We also have a great man in charge of response. Everyone responded quickly. As a matter of fact, every road was open again and operational within 36 hours and this was with over 5,000 acres of timber down due to the storms.
We have had so many bad storms. Typically, we have a few homes damaged, but this year we had substantial damage in many areas.
Did your Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) help you?
All in all I believe the EOP absolutely worked. We had a few kinks. One being our emer- gency operation centers shutting down due to damage, but we got them up and going again fairly quickly. Under the circumstances, we performed very well..
How was your relationship with FEMA during this time?
FEMA is stretched thin with the devastation that has taken place all over the country. Tey tend to always come through in the end, but sometimes it can take a while. Tey have been here on several different occasions and since the storm’s end they have been back and done a complete survey of the damage.
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With Some of Arkansas’s County Judges
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