Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, June 5, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, June 5, 2002
Start: 2002-06-05T02:40
End: 2002-06-05T05:00
Location: Oklahoma

June 5, 2002 · NWS TSA · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

3 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 5, 1:45 AM CST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 5, 1:45 AM CST, 55 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
245 AM CDT WED JUN 5 2002

OUTFLOW/COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO FAR SE OK...WITH 2 DISTINCT MCSS
MOVING SLOWLY ENE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.  WHILE FLOODING HAS BEEN
ISOLATED...FEEL THAT FLASH FLOOD WATCH NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED INTO THE
MORNING FOR SE OK/WCNTRL. WILL ALLOW WATCH TO EXPIRE OVER NE OK/NW
AR WITH ZONE ISSUANCE AROUND 430 AM...AND REISSUE FFA GENERALLY
ALONG AND S OF I-40 THRU NOON.  GIVEN THE SLOW MOVEMENT AND VERY
HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT (PWS AOA 2)...AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN A FEW LOCATIONS.

WILL MAINTAIN LINGERING EVENING POPS MAINLY FOR WRN AR BEFORE MAIN
TROF AXIS SHIFTS E OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT.

NICE DAY IN STORE FOR THURSDAY WITH SFC RIDGE AXIS OVERHEAD. ETA MOS
LOOKS A BIT WARM...BUT MOST LOCATIONS WILL WARM INTO THE LOWER 80S.

GRADUAL WARMING TREND WILL CONTINUE FOR LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND.
LATEST AVN SUGGESTS PRECIP CHANCES RETURN BY SUNDAY...WHICH IS IN
GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH GOING FORECAST.

FCST ID --->18

PRELIM NUMBERS...
TUL  76  59  83  58 /  50  10   0   0
FSM  80  62  83  57 /  90  30  10   0
MLC  79  62  83  59 /  90  20   0   0
BVO  75  58  83  56 /  30  10   0   0
FYV  75  57  78  54 /  70  30   0   0
BYV  75  56  78  53 /  70  40   0   0
MIO  75  58  81  56 /  70  10   0   0
MKO  77  60  82  58 /  90  10   0   0
F10  77  61  83  58 /  70  10   0   0
HHW  82  64  85  60 /  90  20  10   0

.TSA...
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES
ARZ019>020...ARZ029.
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES
OKZ049...OKZ053...OKZ070>076.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 4, 8:50 PM CST, 5 hours 50 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA / NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
950 PM CDT TUE JUN 4 2002

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
   AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
...WHICH WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
LATE THIS EVENING.  THE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO BECOME STATIONARY
OVERNIGHT WITH THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG AND NORTH OF
SURFACE FEATURE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.  PLEASE REFER TO THE
LATEST STATEMENT (OKCFLSTUL) ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN TULSA.

A FEW STORMS OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA COULD BE STRONG THIS EVENING...
PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.  HOWEVER...GIVEN THE LIMITED
INSTABILITIES IN PLACE...ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED
OVERNIGHT.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
GIVEN THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL / FLASH FLOODING...SPOTTER
ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

Local storm report, Jun 4, 9:27 PM CST, 5 hours 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1027 PM CDT TUE JUN 4 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0601 PM    2 NW OKESA                OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
06/04/02   OSAGE                          REPORTED BY EOC

0610 PM    6 NW BARTLESVILLE         OK   .88 INCH HAIL
06/04/02   OSAGE                          REPORTED BY EOC

0610 PM    BARTLESVILLE              OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/04/02   WASHINGTON                     TREES / POWERLINES
                                          DOWN...REPORTED BY EOC

0705 PM    2 S CHILDERS              OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/04/02   NOWATA                         TREES DOWN...REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC

0445 PM    BURBANK                   OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/04/02   OSAGE                          TREES DOWN...REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC

Special weather statement, Jun 4, 10:15 PM CST, 4 hours 25 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA / NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1115 PM CDT TUE JUN 4 2002

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR EASTERN OKLAHOMA
   AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA LATE THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA OVERNIGHT...SPREADING EAST INTO NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS. WIDESPREAD 2 TO 3 INCH RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE LIKELY
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.  THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS...THEREFORE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED
ACROSS THIS AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH
(OKCFFATUL) ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA.

A FEW STORMS OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA COULD BE STRONG OVERNIGHT
...PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.  HOWEVER...GIVEN THE
LIMITED INSTABILITIES IN PLACE...ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT
ANTICIPATED.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
GIVEN THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL / FLASH FLOODING...SPOTTER
ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Pittsburg

When: June 5, 2:40 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where: Pittsburg County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.924, -95.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms produced heavy rain during the early morning hours. McAlester reported 3.38 inches of rain. To the northeast of McAlester this heavy rain caused severe street flooding in Quinton and also caused water to flow over Highway 71 near Quinton. Near McAlester water flooded the playing fields and parking lots at the Pittsburg County Softball Complex. In addition, to the west of McAlester, State Highway 31 was temporarily closed due to high water between the Steven W. Taylor Industrial Park and Haywood.

Flash Flood, Latimer

When: June 5, 3:00 AM CST to 4:30 AM CST
Where: Latimer County, Northeast Portion
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.876, -95.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms produced heavy rain during the early morning hours. Red Oak received 2.71 inches of rain. This heavy rain caused numerous county roads to be flooded in the northeast part of Latimer county.

Flash Flood, Haskell

When: June 5, 4:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Haskell County, South Portion
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.225, -95.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms produced heavy rain during the early morning hours. Stigler received 2.86 inches of rain. This rain flooded numerous county roads in the southern part of Haskell county.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, June 2002

Sources

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: 5301755, 5301756, 5301757.