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The monsoon season is entering its third week with no relief from the rain yet in sight. Just a little over two weeks ago, firefighters were battling wildfires across the state due to drought conditions. Three days into fighting the blazes, the rains began and they have not abated since.
The most severe flooding yesterday occurred in northeastern Oklahoma as emergency personnel were busy all day rescuing people trapped by high water and evacuating others from harm's way.
From left, Tulsa Fire Department water rescuers Kevin Mann and Trent Brennen help two people from their truck on a flooded road south of Pryor. Photo JAMES GIBBARD, Tulsa World
State and county workers rescued more than 50 people Friday in Rogers and Mayes County who were stranded by high water.
According to officials, most were rescued from flooded roadways and homes as more than 8 inches of rain fell.
Much of Pryor was closed Friday because of flooded streets, including U.S. 69, the main thoroughfare that runs through downtown. Hundreds of roads were closed in Mayes, Rogers and Delaware counties, and some schools closed early.
Parts of Salina, 10 miles east of Pryor, were evacuated after Lake Hudson levee pumps failed.
The Grand River Dam Authority’s Lake Patrol assisted with evacuations, said Michelann Ooten, spokeswoman for the state Department of Emergency Management.
The Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative disconnected power to residents south and east of Salina because of the flooding, and limited phone service outages were reported in Salina, Locust Grove, Spavinaw, Flint and Kansas, OK.
There were no injures.
In Claremore, the Rogers County Courthouse was flooded, and 4 feet of water was inside a Rogers County apartment complex, officials said.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown said the Lake Patrol had rescued six people who were stuck in vehicles in Rogers County.
"Most of the people (we rescued) were caught off guard†by the rapidly rising water, he said.
Mayes County Sheriff Frank Cantey said floodwaters were up to 4 feet in parts of Pryor and that 3 feet of water was in some houses.
"One car was stranded near the park, and water was clear over the top of the car,†Cantey said.
In addition to U.S. 69, parts of State Highway 20 and U.S. 412 were closed, he said.
Highway patrol troopers were assisting local fire departments with rescues but asked drivers to avoid the flooded areas if possible, Brown said.
Kris Price, whose husband and children spent most of the day stranded, said she was "really scared.â€
"It only takes one wrong move,†she said.
Price’s two children, ages 8 and 6, spent most of Friday stranded with their father, Shawn Price, on SH 20. He had picked them up from school early.
She stayed in touch with her husband all day via cell phone.
"He’s in a 4-by-4 truck,†Price said. "He’s said he was real surprised the water isn’t in his truck.â€
Authorities were letting motorists out of Pryor on SH 20, but they wouldn’t let them back in, she said.
Lt. Greg Giler said the highway patrol was involved in three rescues with boats on SH 20, including that of a woman and small child.
Johnny Janzen, Mayes County Emergency Management director, said, "People just want to get where they’re going so bad that they’ll try anything they can to get there, even driving into water on the road.â€
Pryor Mayor Jimmy Tramel urged residents Friday to "please don’t travel. Stay at home.â€
"It’s flooding in places it has never flooded before,†he said. "It’s unbelievable.â€
Several people also were rescued from their flooded homes and cars in nearby Rogers County, said that county’s emergency management director, Bob Anderson.
The American Red Cross helped 18 people from seven apartments in Claremore, said Nellie Kelly, the agency’s Tulsa-based spokeswoman.
Red Cross volunteers tried to help three families in Pryor but were unable to reach them because of road closures, she said.
Tramel said Red Cross officials planned to set up an emergency shelter in Pryor. "We’re setting up our own shelter for anyone who is displaced at our rec center,†he said.
The state Health Department and county health officials worked with nursing homes, care facilities, and hospitals to ensure safety of all their patients and personnel.
Rains, of the Rogers County Emergency Management Agency, said officials advised parents to allow Pryor and Claremore schools to keep their children at school until the flooding decreased.
"There are too many roads that aren’t passable,†she said. "We hope the flooding will began to go down late Friday.â€
Rising waters on SH 20 prompted businesses to close as water engulfed parking lots and mobile homes in low-lying areas. Livestock were seen wandering along SH 2.
Contributing: World staff writer Tim Stanley
https://newsok.com/crews-come-to-rescue-as-northeast-floods/articlehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Air_Force_U-2_(2139646280).jpg
