Forecasters predicted floods for various parts of Arkansas’s prairie, as the state’s largest deluge in 25 years continues.

The great storms last week and the break in the Black River’s dam are maintaining a dangerous water level.

White River has risen about 7 feet in only four days and the National Weather Service predicted it would reach 33.5 feet by Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, Prairie County Sheriff Gary Burnett, who lives in the area near Little Rock, is surprised of the river’s fast flooding. He declared he had never seen it flood so quickly.

Other residents also said it was the worst flood they had ever seen, as Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe declared 35 counties disaster areas. Among them are Hot Spring, Independence, Jackson, Logan, Stone, Washington, Crawford, Nevada and Newton.

In Des Arc’s, Tom Roe Memorial Riverfront Park was completely flooded, only the top halves of the light poles remaining visible.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management expects the White River to actually exceed the water levels in the 1982 floods.

At least 17 people died in the floods and thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes, most of them in Missouri. Federal emergency workers will be today in the areas affected by the floods.