Little Rock Port Authority on track for its busiest year despite flood

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The Little Rock Port Authority on track for its busiest year yet.

"The Arkansas River is one of many miles of inland river systems in the country, [and it] is under-utilized. But it plays an incredibly important part of our economy," said executive director Bryan Day.

But for the port, business is booming. September set a record of 60 barges working at the dock. So far this year, there have been a total of 429 barges, which is 11 more than this time last year.

It's something they didn't see coming. Day said, "I would not be honest with you if I didn't say I was surprised. When the flood came, we looked at our budget, we looked at our projections, and we were prepared to make adjustments. So, yes, I am surprised."

The Arkansas River flood caused the port to close down for a total of seven weeks. During that time, there was no barge traffic in or out. The port itself sustained minimal damage.

"The truth is, the Port of Little Rock was very lucky," said Day.

But some ports on the Arkansas river weren't as lucky. Many were severely damaged or even completely submerged. Day added, "We're supporting each other with helping potentially move commodities through other ports if we need to keep those businesses open. We're encouraging our colleagues to stay strong and stay true."

Day went on to say that they're all working together to make sure the Army Corps of Engineers and Congress recognize that the river flood was a major natural disaster and delegate funds where it's needed.