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Damage Widespread, But Mostly Minor Rivers and creeks filled to the brim as Northwest Arkansas received anywhere from 5 to 8 inches of rain in a 24-hour period Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla. 

The gates can be opened as high as 40 feet, "but that would wipe everything out (downstream)," Bland said.

He didn't know how long the gates will be open. "Anything I'd say would be just a guess."

On the eastern side of Washington County, the White River went on a rampage.

"Water got into three houses along Arkansas 16," said Rebecca Hathcock, administrative assistant to Elkins Mayor Jack Ladyman. "The bridge over First Street, Mount Olive Road, was still flooded Wednesday."

West Fork, named after the West Fork of the White River, "survived," according to Butch Bartholomew, city business manager.

"The water's just now going down where we can assess things," Bartholomew said Wednesday. "We lost some little things out of Riverside Park - some railroad ties and sand out of the playground. Nothing we can't take care of ourselves."

Rescue personnel continued searching Campbell Creek outside West Fork on Wednesday for Clint Caudle, 48, of West Fork, whose pickup was found swept off a low-water crossing.

Caudle apparently tried to cross the Campbell Creek during the height of the storm Tuesday. He managed to get out from the pickup and asked a neighbor for his tractor to pull out his pickup out of the creek, said Washington County Fire Marshall, John Jenkins.

Caudle went back to the creek with a tractor and that was the last time he was seen, Jenkins said.

On Wednesday a boom wrecker was used to pull the pickup out of the water A helicopter from the Benton County Sheriff's Office was also looking for Caudle. Rescue teams will continue their search for Caudle for several more days, Jenkins said.

Fayetteville escaped mostly unscathed according to a spokesman with the Fayetteville Police Department.

"We had some roads closed Tuesday night, but no serious issues," Cpl. Rick Crisman of the Fayetteville Police Department.

Goshen's low-lying subdivisions, which flooded in 2004, dodged the bullet this time around according to Goshen Marshal David Edwards.

"We had quite a bit of water, but most of it was contained on agricultural land," Edwards said. "It got into one detached garage about two feet deep and one gentleman lost his dog kennel.

Farther east, almost all of St. Paul, in Madison County along the White River, was underwater Tuesday. Residents gathered Tuesday night to spend the night in the Community Center on cots.

Wes Fowler, Madison County judge said his emergency control officer was still in Saint Paul Wednesday afternoon.

"They've got quite a bit of street damage and several houses that water has been into," Fowler said. "We're still assessing things."

In Huntsville, the county seat of Madison County, the usually placid stream behind Granny's Kitchen, a popular eatery in town, was nearly into the restaurant - a depth of approximately 20 feet.

Fowler said he's waiting to see what the governor is going to do about declaring Madison County a disaster area.

"We've got several roads washed out and some are still impassable," Fowler said Wednesday.

In Benton County, more than 90 roads were closed during the heaviest flooding Tuesday but most opened Wednesday after water receded, officials said.

Road Department crews were out early Wednesday inspecting and reopening roads, said Steve Douglas, southwest county road superintendent.

The western part of the county had the most flooding, said Josh Billis, Central Communications deputy director.

Benton County Judge Gary Black and Benton County Department of Emergency Management officials plan to meet this morning to discuss repair costs.

The department verbally declared a state of emergency about 8 p.m. Tuesday. The declaration was made to insure the county had access to additional state and mutual-aid resources, Billis said. The county did not need or use any additional resources, he said.

Bentonville and Bella Vista planned to continue assessing damage from flooding today and brace for the cleanup.

Many Bella Vista golf course were flooded.

Water and debris affected Bella Vista golf courses in varying degrees.

"Basically the damage is not that significant," said Mike Shea, director of golf for Bella Vista Property Owners Association.

Shea hopes to open the Highlands and Dogwood Hills courses today, Berksdale, Country Club and Scotsdale courses Friday, and the Kingswood Course on Saturday.

Rogers sustained no damage, only debris on some roads, according to Frankie Guyll, street superintendent.

However, the Rogers Fire Department rescued an unidentified resident Tuesday night stranded on a low-water bridge, said Capt. Eddie Thompson. The vehicle was stuck on the bridge at Rainbow Road and Northgate road.

The Siloam Springs Fire Department also performed a swift-water rescue at Fiddler's Bend, a camping area on Flint Creek.

Deputy Fire Chief Gary Turner said members of a boat club brought their boats in and rescued 15 people from tents and housing units.

"The boaters did most of the rescues," Turner said. "They were real lifesavers. Our guys worked the shallower parts, around waist deep."

Stacy Vaughn Communications Assistant for Siloam Springs, said the city suffered no major damage.

"We had a couple of roads closed due to high water," Vaughn said. "Sager Creek (which runs through the center of town) got high, but it didn't get out of its bank."

Washington County's roads and bridges remained open Wednesday, but assistant County Roads Superintendent Shawn Shrum cautioned residents to be careful while driving.

Jerry Hunton, Washington County Judge, said county staffers opened the Emergency Operation Center Tuesday night.

"We wanted to get everybody together to coordinate things," Hunton said. "At one time, we had 15 to 20 roads closed. We had water lapping at the bottom of the new bridge on County Road 62."

Springdale doesn't have river or creek near the city and escaped any major damage.

Street crews had to close Shady Grove Road, Johnson Road, Har-Ber Avenue, Ivey Lane and water was over the bridge on Wagon Wheel Road Tuesday, Anderson said.

The Northwest Arkansas chapter of the American Red Cross surveyed fire departments and offices of emergency management Wednesday to find only minor damage reported throughout the region, said Susan Duell-Mitchell, community relations director.

The agency was on standby Wednesday morning to open a shelter in Carroll County but by late afternoon the need for a shelter had apparently been minimized, she said.

The Morning News' Flip Puttoff, John Henley Jr., Christopher Spencer, Rose Ann Pearce, Scarlett Sims, Pablo Bello and Richard Dean Prudenti contributed to this report.