Officials begin evacuating communities in Arkansas

DES ARC, Ark. - Emergency management officials are evacuating communities along the White River in Arkansas because a rural levee has shown signs of weakening.<br /> <br /> A spokesman for the state's Department of Emergency Management said he doesn't know how many people live in the affected area in Prairie County.<br /> <br /> The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning after the discovery, and emergency workers have started sandbagging the levee. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, teams of state and federal officials are preparing to examine flood-damaged buildings and businesses in the state. <br /> <br /> Officials said they expect that workers across the state will certainly find far more damage than an initial $2 million estimate that the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management offered last week.