After an abnormally dry October, early November flooding resulted in last month becoming the fourth-wettest November on record. While no daily records were broken, one day entered the top 10 among wettest days in recorded history.
At KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot, the official reporting station for the National Weather Service in Mountain Home, rainfall measured on the morning of Nov. 4 was 4.8 inches, making it the ninth-wettest day on record. The wettest day was Sept. 4, 1985, when 8.95 inches were recorded.
Twenty-four hours later, another 4.22 inches were measured, putting the two-day total at just over 9 inches. The heavy and long-lasting rain led to flooding, causing damage to area roadways and other points of interest. Ozark County ended up with the most road closures during that period, and the water came near going over the Tecumseh bridge on U.S. Highway 160 and the Hammond bridge at Missouri Route CC.
Some Baxter County roads ended up getting washed out, and Road and Bridge Superintendent Larry Carter reported damage on Moccasin Creek Road. In addition, County Road 229 in the area of Bennetts River close to the Fulton County line had to be temporarily shut down due to flooding and damages.
The flooding also caused damage to roads and other facilities at the Buffalo National River. Several camp sites at Kyles Landing, Erbie, and Ozark Campgrounds were damaged and silt-covered. As a result, fees are suspended in these three campgrounds until the start of the normal camping fee season within the park on March 14.
The road system in the Erbie Historic District and surrounding areas also suffered significant damage. Roads such as the Erbie-Compton Road and crossings at Erbie and Cecil Creek were deeply rutted and covered in silt, making them passable only for 4×4, high-clearance vehicles. In the Lower District, the road to Spring Creek was washed out and closed at the park boundary.
November’s total rainfall was 10.97 inches, 4.63 inches shy of the month’s record of 15.6 inches in 1994. Last month ended up 6.17 inches above November’s average of 4.8 inches.
The total rainfall for year’s 11 months is 56.33 inches, 9.24 inches above the period’s average of 47.09. With just under one month left of the year, 2024 is 2.27 inches shy of entering the top 10 for wettest years. Currently the 10th wettest is 1985 at 58.6 inches. The wettest year in recorded history is 1927 with a total of 74.54 inches.
The warmest temperature recorded last month was 76 degrees on Nov. 18, and the coolest was 26 on Nov. 29 and 30. The average high for the month was 62 degrees, and the average low was 41.5.
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