Flood in Oklahoma, May 17 to 18, 2002

Name: Flood in Oklahoma, May 17 to 18, 2002
Start: 2002-05-17T09:00
End: 2002-05-18T10:00
Location: Oklahoma

May 17 to 18, 2002 · NWS TSA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Polecat Creek near Sapulpa rose above its flood stage of 21 feet during the morning of May 17th. The river crested near 25 feet during the same evening before falling below its flood stage the next morning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 1

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 happened

The episode as NWS TSA wrote it up.

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 May 17, 8:55 AM CST, 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 8:55 AM CST, 5 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
955 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

THE COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PRODUCED HEAVY RAINS
AND SEVERE ACROSS THE AREA LAST NIGHT AND EARLY THIS MORNING IS
PUSHING EAST OF OUR FORECAST AREA AND WEAKENING.  HAVE CANCELLED THE
FLASH FLOOD WATCH AS THE THREAT OF ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING HAS
ENDED.  WILL TRY TO SEND AN UPDATED SET OF ZONES BY 11 AM TO REMOVE
THE BANNERS AND UPDATE THE PRECIP TRENDS.  WILL ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS
TEMPERATURES AS MESONET AND OBS UPSTREAM INDICATE IT WILL BE
SUBSTANTIALLY COOLER THAN EXPECTED.

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

ABBAS

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 17, 3:39 AM CST, 5 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
439 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0435 AM    EUFAULA                   OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   MCINTOSH                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER

Special weather statement, May 17, 5:00 AM CST, 4 hours before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-181100-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL END IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS EARLY THIS MORNING...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS THIS MORNING...

A LINE OF STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS THIS
MORNING. THE STORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE DURING THE NIGHT...BUT ARE
EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO WEAKEN. THE STORMS WILL PUSH OUT OF OKLAHOMA
AND DEEPER INTO ARKANSAS BY 9AM...ENDING THE THREAT FOR SEVERE
WEATHER IN THE TULSA FORECAST AREA.

HEAVY RAINS OVERNIGHT RESULTED IN SOME FLASH FLOODING IN PARTS OF
THE AREA.  THE THREAT FOR FLOODING WILL DIMINISH WITH TIME AS
THE HEAVIER RAINS SHIFT TO THE EAST.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTERS IN FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS SHOULD
BE ABLE TO STAND DOWN AFTER 9AM.

.DISCUSSION...
THE LINE OF STORMS IS MOVING INTO A MORE STABLE ATMOSPHERE IN FAR
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS.  THIS SHOULD CAUSE
THE LINE TO GRADUALLY DECREASE...BUT UNTIL THAT TREND BECOME
ESTABLISHED...THERE WILL BE A THREAT FOR WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND
HAIL TO NICKEL SIZE.

THE STORMS WILL CLEAR OUR FORECAST AREA BY 9AM...ENDING THE THREAT
FOR SEVERE WEATHER TODAY.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC SATURDAY

AREA 1...ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM HUGO TO FORT SMITH TO
WINSLOW TO PETTIGREW

PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY OF STORMS OCCUR...60
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY OF STORMS OCCUR...15

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK.  PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREAT WIND/TORNADO DAMAGE
AND/OR GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

.OTHER HAZARDS...
SEE THE FLOOD STATEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE
FLOOD WATCH THAT IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THIS
MORNING.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.

AN UPDATED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1PM
TODAY.

Local storm report, May 17, 5:15 AM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
615 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0430 AM    KIEFER                    OK   FLASH FLOODS
05/17/02   CREEK                          PEOPLE EVACUATED FROM
                                          MOBILE HOMESREPORTED BY
                                          OTHER

0500 AM    STIGLER                   OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/17/02   HASKELL                        ESTIMATED WIND GUST BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Special weather statement, May 17, 5:46 AM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-171500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
646 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #311 HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 10 AM CDT FOR
MADISON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN WESTERN ARKANSAS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #308 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN WESTERN ARKANSAS AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
CARROLL...BENTON...WASHINGTON...CRAWFORD...SEBASTIAN...DELAWARE...
ROGERS...MAYES...CHEROKEE...ADAIR...WAGONER...MUSKOGEE...SEQUOYAH...
MCINTOSH...HASKELL...LE FLORE...PITTSBURG AND LATIMER.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #309 THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR CREEK...
OKMULGEE...OKFUSKEE...PUSHMATAHA...AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES...HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.

Local storm report, May 17, 6:43 AM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
743 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0430 AM    KIEFER                    OK   FLASH FLOODS
05/17/02   CREEK                          PEOPLE EVACUATED
                                          MOBILE HOMES
                                          REPORTED BY EMER MGMT.

0500 AM    STIGLER                   OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/17/02   HASKELL                        ESTIMATED WIND GUST BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1148 PM    7 W SAND SPRINGS          OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/17/02   TULSA                          SPOTTER ESTIMATE

0007 AM    SAND SPRINGS              OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0009 AM    5 W SAND SPRINGS          OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0132 AM    COWETA                    OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   WAGONER                        REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

Local storm report, May 17, 7:07 AM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
807 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

1208 AM    5 S PRUE                  OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY

0905 PM    3 S ANTLERS               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/02   PUSHMATAHA

1145 PM    5 S CLEVELAND             OK   .88 INCH HAIL
05/16/02   PAWNEE                         REPORTED BY

1215 AM    3 S SANDSPRINGS           OK   .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY

1242 AM    TULSA                     OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          51ST AND YALE. REPORTED BY
                                          TRAINED SPOTTER.

1207 AM    SAND SPRINGS              OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY

1209 AM    5 W SAND SPRINGS          OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY

0100 AM    BROKEN ARROW              OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY

0130 AM    COWETA                    OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/17/02   WAGONER

0132 AM    COWETA                    OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   WAGONER                        REPORTED BY

0215 AM    11 SE PRYOR               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   MAYES                          REPORTED BY

0345 AM    BEARDEN                   OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   OKFUSKEE                       REPORTED BY

0430 AM    KIEFER                    OK   FLASH FLOODS
05/17/02   CREEK                          PEOPLE EVACUATED FROM
                                          MOBILE HOMESREPORTED BY

0435 AM    EUFAULA                   OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   MCINTOSH                       REPORTED BY TRAINED

0500 AM    STIGLER                   OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/17/02   HASKELL                        ESTIMATED WIND GUST BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1148 PM    7 W SAND SPRINGS          OK   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/16/02   TULSA                          SPOTTER ESTIMATE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Creek

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST to May 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Creek forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 35.903, -96.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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, May 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: 5293882.