An Arkansas levee failed along the Black River near the state's border with Missouri, causing officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders for residents in Pocahontas and others along the waterway.
Water levels reached 29 feet on Tuesday and were expected to rise with additional rainfall on Wednesday, according to KATV. Officials said the levee was built only to withstand 28 feet of water.
The Weather Channel reported authorities closed traffic along a heavily-used section of the Missouri River as rain continued to pound the Midwest. Heavy rainfall that started last weekend sparked flooding and forced the closure of hundreds of roads in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois.
John Gardner, of Aerial Patrol, Inc., tweeted a photo of the Black River breach and flood Wednesday.
"My admonition to the public, particularly in northeast Arkansas, is to listen to the local authorities, and if they order evacuation, that you do so quickly," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday afternoon, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Hutchinson told reporters in Little Rock that state officials identified nine levee breaches in Randolph County, three of which have been categorized as "major."
The governor added that 108 Arkansas National Guardsmen had been deployed to the areas of primary concern while 25 National Guard vehicles were prepared for high-water rescue efforts in Northeast Arkansas.
Hutchinson said the Arkansas State Police are also playing a "significant" role in emergency response efforts with 23 employees already taking part in search and recovery efforts.
The Democrat-Gazette said seven people have died and a child was still missing in weather-related incidents.
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