CARLISLE, Ark. — The sun returned to Arkansas on Tuesday as the remnants of Francine left the state.
One of the biggest concerns in Arkansas was the potential for millions of dollars in damages for rice and soybean farmers.
The biggest hit areas were in the eastern part of the state in Poinsett, Cross, St. Francis, and Crittenden counties.
Some farms reported as much as 10 inches of rainfall.
"As we take this next step, it's trying over the next few days to get fields and the crop itself dried out," Rice Extension Agronomist Jarrod Hardke said.
Last week, farmers rushed to harvest as much rice as possible before Francine reached the state.
The fear was that winds and heavy rains would damage millions of acres of crops, such as rice, cotton and soybeans.
"I would say millions in losses are on the table at this point," Hardke said. "Perhaps not the tens of millions in what we feared in a worst-case scenario."
For some farmers, seeing the storm's true impact could take weeks. First, the fields must dry out before farmers can start harvesting again.
Then, farmers will check the plants, but some are already showing signs of damage.
"Now we are seeing some of that rice starting to sprout," Hardke said. "It's not supposed to sprout... We need it to harvest, so if it sprouts far enough, that grain will be a complete loss."
Corn harvesting is over, but rice, soybeans and cotton farmers still have several weeks to go.
Hardke added that the quality of the crops could impact their monetary value. Farmers will not know those effects until later this year.
