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Homes turn into islands as water floods neighborhoods in Conway

People are building walls around their houses with sandbags in an attempt to keep the water out.

CONWAY, Ark. — Homes in Conway are beginning to look more like islands as floodwaters continue to rise.

People are using sandbags to try and keep the water out of their homes, building walls around their property.

“If these sandbags were not here right now, this whole house would be flooded,” said Bryce Patterson, a volunteer who worked for hours with his friends to help a stranger put up sand bags. “If these sandbags were not here right now, this whole house would be flooded.”

Trekking through water several feet high, Bradley Hargett fights the rising water to try and save his Dad’s house.

“If it doesn’t slow down, all our efforts might be futile. Right now we’re just trying not to think about that,” said Hargett. “There’s just people everywhere helping. If you get more like this in the world, we can make a lot of progress as people.”

From up above the neighborhood on a ridge, the true magnitude of the flooding becomes apparent.

“All this water is not usually here. There’s supposed to be just a creek down here,” said David Hogue, Public Information Officer for Faulkner County. “We are officially in areas we’ve never been before with flooding.”

RELATED: FAQ: Answering your questions about historic Arkansas River flooding

The US Army Corps of Engineers offers tips for how to build a wall with sandbags that can sustain the floods.

Here are some tips for proper sand bag placement:

  • Remove any debris from the areas where bags are to be placed. Place the bags lengthwise and parallel to the direction of flow. Fill the low spots first before placing bags the full length of the area to be raised.
  • Start at approximately 1 foot landward from the river or levee’s edge. Fold the open end of the bag under the filled portion. Folded end of bag should face upstream.
  • Place succeeding bags with the bottom of the bag tightly and partially overlapping the previous bag.
  • Offset adjacent rows or layers by one-half bag length to avoid continuous joints.
  • To eliminate voids and form a tight seal, compact and shape each bag by walking on it and continue the process as each layer is placed.
  • This flattens the top of the bag and prevents slippage between succeeding layers.

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