LITTLE ROCK – Snow, sleet and freezing rain brought the northern half of Arkansas to a near halt on Friday, leading Gov. Mike Beebe to declare an emergency as most people stayed home to wait out the storm.
Roads started freezing as a winter storm built across the state Thursday night. By Friday morning, roads were slick from De Queen in the southwest to Piggott in the far northeast. Roads in Little Rock were navigable during what would have been rush hour, but with the forecast calling for more wintry precipitation and frozen roads,
schools and offices closed across the region .
At Outlaw Towing in Rogers, owner David Carroll said most traffic stopped after the roads became slick, but he still had plenty of calls. "People are getting stuck going down a hill or they're getting stuck going up a hill, then sliding into a ravine or into other cars," Carroll said.
Beebe activated the state's inclement weather policy so only essential employees had to report to work. Closures included the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and numerous public and private schools across the northern half of the state.
Anyone going to their jobs Friday was advised to be prepared to be stranded. "We're encouraging people to think ahead. Have blankets in yourvehicle, extra water and some snacks should there be a worst-case scenario," state police spokesman Bill Sadler said. He said people who have to work should line up a hotel room within walking distance or otherwise plan for an overnight stay, considering that conditions were expected to worsen.
No serious injuries were reported on state highways as of Friday morning. But Sadler said there were a number of vehicles off the roads.
Little Rock National Airport reported a number of flights were canceled, and one Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas was diverted.
With Beebe's emergency declaration, $20,000 was freed so the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management can draw more resources, if needed. The Arkansas National Guard has soldiers and supplies, including generators for water systems, prepared to head for any trouble spots.
Power outages in the state were limited. Entergy Arkansas said that as of 8:15 a.m. Friday, about 2,000 customers had lost electricity. The largest outages were in Craighead County and in Pike County.
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs announced Friday morning that live thoroughbred racing would go on as scheduled. Oaklawn calls off racing if the track is frozen, but spokesman Terry Wallace said training went on as planned early Friday.
Ray Knatcal of Ray's Garage, Towing and Muffler in Batesville said the night was quieter than he expected. "Batesville is shut down for all practical purposes," Knatcal said. "We have plenty of work inside the building, but I doubt if we can get parts delivery."
A separate declaration by Beebe will suspend some federal guidelines that regulate utility trucks. This will allow utility companies to work extra hours in responding to outages and storm damage.
Officials at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management have been in contact with county emergency officials, preparing to take appropriate actions to counter the storm. The Arkansas National Guard also has personnel and supplies ready to go for emergency response.
