6 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 7, 2:30 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 330 PM CDT SUN APR 7 2002 INITIAL CONCERN WITH THIS FORECAST WILL BE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE AREA FOR TONIGHT. HAVE SEEN AMOUNTS IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE COMMON THROUGH THE DAY GENERALLY TO THE SOUTH OF I-40. WILL EXTEND THE WATCH FOR TONIGHT TO INCLUDE SEQUOYAH COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OK...AND ALSO INTO PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS INCLUDING THE FORT SMITH AREA. UPPER LOW MOVING OUT OF NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON INTO WEST TEXAS. SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE STATE DURING THE NIGHT...THEN BEGIN TO OPEN AND LIFT NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. HEAVY RAIN AXIS SHOULD SHIFT TO THE EAST OF THE AREA BY TOMORROW MORNING...THEN CONCERN WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. FOCUS THIS AFTERNOON IS ALONG DRYLINE OVER FAR WEST TX...AND ALSO ALONG WARM FRONT THAT STRETCHES SOUTH OF THE RED RIVER TO THE DFW VICINITY. SEVERE THREAT INTO MONDAY WILL LIKELY DEPEND ON HOW MUCH CLEARING CAN TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE AREA. WILL SEE WARM FRONT BEGIN LIFTING TO THE NORTH LATER TONIGHT...SO HAVE WORDED ZONES MAINLY FOR EVENING LOWS WITH STEADY OR SLOWLY RISING TEMPS DURING THE NIGHT. WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS GOING AREAWIDE THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY...THEN CHANCE POPS ON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. MAY ALSO NEED TO INCLUDE SOME POPS FOR AT LEAST EARLY TUESDAY IN THE EAST...BUT FOR NOW WILL LEAVE THE TUESDAY PERIOD DRY. EXPECT DRY WEATHER WITH WARMING TEMPS THROUGH THE WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY TIME FRAME...BEFORE NEXT SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA BY LATE IN THE WEEK. WILL KEEP SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AND ALSO EXTEND IN SUNDAY. FCSTID = 4 TUL 50 68 50 67 / 100 60 40 10 FSM 49 68 54 70 / 100 70 50 10 MLC 50 70 53 69 / 100 60 40 10 BVO 50 66 47 66 / 100 60 40 10 FYV 47 66 50 66 / 100 70 50 10 BYV 47 66 50 66 / 100 70 50 10 MIO 50 67 49 66 / 100 60 40 10 MKO 50 68 50 67 / 100 60 40 10 F10 50 68 50 67 / 100 60 40 10 HHW 50 71 57 71 / 100 60 40 10 .TSA... AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ019>020...ARZ029. OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES OKZ049...OKZ053...OKZ072>076.
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-081200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST SUN APR 7 2002 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM OVER NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE EAST INTO SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA BY LATE TONIGHT. RAIN AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES. RAIN WILL TAPER OFF FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THOUGH REDEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY OVERNIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REMAIN A THREAT IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAIN WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS OVER 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. THIS MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATER TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE FLOOD WATCH PRODUCT /OKCFFATUL/ FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS AS THE RAIN COOLED AIRMASS WILL REMAIN TOO STABLE TO SUPPORT LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS. CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS SOME CLEARING DURING THE DAY WILL ALLOW THE AIRMASS TO DESTABILIZE. AS THE UPPER LEVEL STORM MOVES OVERHEAD DURING THE AFTERNOON...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY REDEVELOP AND SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL.
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-081200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 701 PM CDT SUN APR 7 2002 ...UPDATE FOR POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING... .DISCUSSION... SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED WEST OF THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT EXTENDED EAST NORTHEAST FROM THE SURFACE LOW ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN TEXAS INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS. A 50 KNOT SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET WAS POSITIONED ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA. THE POSITION OF THE LOW LEVEL JET WAS NEARLY IDEAL TO MAXIMIZE ISENTROPIC LIFT NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING REPEATEDLY IN AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT SINCE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. THE RESULT HAS BEEN SEVERAL BANDS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM STILL ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO THIS EVENING...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SEVERAL MORE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. LOCAL RAINFALL TOTALS IN THE FAVORED AREAS NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT COULD REACH 6 TO 8 INCHES. LATER TONIGHT...A DRY SLOT WRAPPING EAST AROUND THE UPPER SYSTEM WILL BRING AN END TO THE WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:59 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain fell across Haskell county from late afternoon into the late evening hours. 3.43 inches of rain was measured at Whitefield and 3.31 inches of rain was measured near Stigler. This excessive rainfall resulted in flooding of some roads. This included parts of Highway 9 near Whitefield.
Heavy rain fell on and off across Latimer county from the late afternoon hours into the late evening hours.4.48 inches of rain was recorded near Wilburton and 4.41 inches of rain fell near Red Oak. This excessive rainfall caused flooding of numerous county roads.
Heavy rain fell on and off across Pittsburg county from the late afternoon hours into the late evening hours. 3.44 inches of rain was recorded near McAlester. The heavy rain caused some roads to be flooded including Highway 31 five miles west of McAlester and Highway 63 six miles west of Haileyville.
Heavy rain fell on and off across Le Flore county from the late afternoon hours into the late evening hours. Panama received 4.95 inches of rain while Wister and Poteau received 4.62 inches and 4.33 inches respectively. This heavy rain caused several roads to be flooded including Highway 9 near Spiro.
Heavy rain fell on and off across Sequoyah county from the late afternoon hours into the late evening hours. 3.60 inches of rain was recorded near Sallisaw. This heavy rain caused some roads to be flooded. This included Highway 141 near Gans.
Heavy rain fell on and off across Pushmataha county from the late afternoon hours into the late evening hours. 5.33 inches of rain fell at Antlers and 6.57 inches of rain fell at Tuskahoma. This heavy rain caused several county roads to be flooded. One road that was flooded was Ethel Road just east of Antlers.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 2002
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5289986, 5289987, 5289988, 5289989, 5289990, 5289991.