Dozens Rescued After Flash Floods in Oklahoma
Flash floods across the Oklahoma City area on Monday left many commuters stranded on washed out roadways and set rescue crews rushing into motion. A line of heavy thunderstorms that bore down on the region Sunday night and into Monday resulted in dozens of residents having to be pulled from the dirty, fast moving water. Many were plucked off of rooftops or pulled from low-hanging tree branches that they used to cling onto dear life until help arrived.
One rescue boat with a team of three inside sank as it attempted to rescue a seventeen year old girl trying clinging to life hanging from a tree branch. All four were able to climb onto tree branches wherein they were brought to safety by another rescue boat that moved in to help. In Oklahoma City, all nineteen of the government buildings have been damaged to some degree or another by flood water. The damage ranged from minor leaks in roofs to electrical systems that were fully submerged in water. It is estimated that it will take several days before it will be known how much money it will cost to get things back to normal.
Oklahoma governor Brad Henry has declared a state of emergency in fifty-nine counties in the state. The governor’s office is urging everyone in the affected area to be cautious as thunderstorms continue to move across the state. Once a state of emergency has been declared local governments can ask for assistance money to help pay for repairs through the state’s disaster public assistance program if conditions warrant it. Flood damage cleanup efforts will take some time, and it was too early to gauge the full extent of property damages. What is for certain is that wet basements will probably be in the vocabulary off all residents in the county for near future.
The flash flooding in the Oklahoma City area has prompted homeowners to prepare their homes in case water approaches. Sandbagging efforts are continuing and families are making alternative living plans in case they are asked to evacuate. In Edmond, rescue teams brought in boats to assist people who were trapped in their homes. Arcadia Lake was closed because the water level is eight feet over its normal level. No new campers are being allowed to come into the lake area. Those people camping at Central State Park are being re-located to higher ground.
In Lawton, one person has been confirmed killed. Witnesses say they saw the victim attempting to push his taxi out of a flooded canal when he was swept away in the strong current. The National Weather Service has reported that nine inches of rain fell across the region in just a matter of a few short hours. Lightning knocked out power to many areas and the forecast calls for more bad weather as another large system is inching its way into Oklahoma.
