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Tossed by Flash Flood
Photograph by Mike Stone, Reuters
After a flash flood, a damaged minivan leans against a tree at the Albert Pike Recreation Area in Langley, Arkansas (see map of the state's southwestern region), on June 12.
The vehicle was swept up and tossed around during the Arkansas flash flood, caused by the swelling of the Little Missouri River early on June 11. The flooding sent a wall of water rushing through the Ouachita Naitonal Forest early Friday, sweeping away campsites and cabins in the middle of the night, according to the AFP news service. (See pictures of floods around the world.)
Rescue workers on Monday found the last victim in the river, bringing the death toll to 20.
Floodwaters rose as quickly as 8 feet (2.4 meters) per second—so fast that the currents peeled asphalt from the road and stripped bark from trees, according to news reports.
Published June 15, 2010
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Flood Rescue
Photograph by Shannon Stapleton, Reuters
A rescue worker spurs his horse along the Little Missouri River on June 12 as he searches for victims swept up in the June 11 flash flood that tore through a campground in the Albert Pike Recreation Area in Arkansas.
More than a hundred government employees and volunteers joined the search for dozens of campers, 20 of whom were later found dead in the rising waters, which hit in early Friday.
Published June 15, 2010
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Flood-Mangled Tent
Photograph by Mara Kuhn, The Sentinel-Record/AP
Rising floodwaters early on June 11 wrapped this tent around a tree, pictured on the same day, at a campground in the Albert Pike Recreation Area in Arkansas.
Weather forecasters had warned about the potential for flooding in the area, but campers could have easily missed the advisory, because the area is isolated and cell reception spotty, according to news reports.
Published June 15, 2010
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Flood Rescuer at Rest
Photograph by Christena Dowsett, The Texarkana Gazette/AP
Joe Faulkner, a rescue worker with the volunteer fire department in Center Point, Arkansas, rests on June 11 after six hours of scanning the Little Missouri River for survivors of a flash flood that swept through a campground the night before.
The rescue effort has proven a hot and exhausting task. Temperatures over the weekend neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Volunteers were advised to stay hydrated and watch out for snakes and spiders.
Published June 15, 2010
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RV on Flood Debris
Photograph by Mike Stone, Reuters
A recreational vehicle on June 12 sits precariously on debris piled up in the wake of the June 11 flash flood in Arkansas.
The fast-rising waters left behind debris piles that reached up to 30 feet (9 meters). Rescue workers were advised to use caution when picking through piles, which could shift and collapse.
Published June 15, 2010
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Search for Flood Survivors
Photograph by Sue Ogrocki, AP
Carol Gilbert of Roanoke, Virginia, and her dog Moki look through a flood debris pile on June 13 for survivors of the June 11 flash flood.
Among the 20 victims so far recovered are seven children age seven or younger. Workers continued looking for more bodies June 14, although several dozen people originally feared missing may actually be camping elsewhere in Arkansas.
Published June 15, 2010
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