DEVELOPING STORY: The National Weather Service is warning of a possible failure of the Arkabutla Dam on the Coldwater River.
A NWS spokesperson told KWAM there was some sort of structural issue with the dam and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was working on the matter.As a precaution, a flash flood watch has been issued for a number of counties downstream in Mississippi and Arkansas.
“There is potential for a breach, but no imminent breach at all,” a Corps spokesman told KWAM. “We are lowering the lake level as much as we can.”
The concern is over the discovery of a sinkhole and Corps officials say they found material under the ground.
Dam failure would result in flash flooding of low-lying areas below the dam, the NWS said.The watch is in effect in these counties through Wednesday afternoon: Crittenden County, Desoto County, Tunica County and Tate counties.
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