LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Tourism and recreation companies along the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers say they’ve taken a financial hit as flooding has forced businesses to close or kept visitors away.
Samuel Ellis owns a kayak and bike rental and tour company on the Arkansas
River in Little Rock. He had to stop kayak rentals entirely on Memorial Day as the river began to approach historic highs.
The flooded river has also spilled onto bike trails, curbing much of his bike rental business as well.
In Kimmswick, Missouri, just south of St. Louis, the small town of 170
typically draws hundreds of thousands of annual visitors, many to two huge
festivals. Organizers had to cancel the Strawberry Festival last week since only one road leading into town was dry and town leaders feared that would be unsafe.
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