GARLAND CITY, AR (KSLA) –Miller County emergency management officials ordered a mandatory evacuation around midnight Thursday for Garland City.
The announcement came just hours after officials told KSLA News 12 there was no evacuation.
Office of Emergency Management Director Larry Pritchett says, “We have a problem with the levee, it’s leaking and we’re on top of it. We’re going to manage it the best we can.”
The water is going under the levee and a pond nearby is sloughing off. Efforts to stop it from getting into the levee are under way. Officials say the levee has a sand boil which means the water is basically washing out the levee from underneath and weakening the embankment.
Emergency management crews are trying to pump water from the riverside to the dry side to balance the pressure. But they’re not alone, at least one alligator has been spotted in the area crews are working.
We’re told the levee has not failed, the evacuation is a precaution while crews work to keep the levee from breaching.
Emergency management officials sounded a siren to warn residents and are going door-to-door to help people evacuate.
Of the 242 residents of Garland City, only about 3 remain in the city.
The shelter in Texarkana, Arkansas has been on stand-by since Wednesday but we’re told they’re getting ready to re-open their doors because of the evacuation.
Officials say buses are lined up just in case they’re needed during the evacuation process. Those who do board the buses will be taken to the Beech Street shelter.
The shelter is located at Beech Street First Baptist Church Activity Center at 601 Beech Street in Texarkana, Arkansas.