Flash Flooding and Flooding in Oklahoma, August 10 to 11, 2004

Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.

Hail was reported on the east side of town.

Hail covered the ground. The hail caused damage to vehicles as well as siding, windows, and roofs of homes.

Hail was reported in southwest portion of town.

Several large tree limbs were blown down.

Numerous trees and power lines were downed along with structural damage to many buildings across town due to the strong winds. One home was destroyed and eleven received minor damage. An apartment received minor damage. Major damage was reported at seven businesses with fourteen receiving minor damage. One of those businesses was The Olde Towne Emporium which lost most of its roof. Several public buildings were damaged with the storage building for city vehicles being destroyed. Trees were also reported down on roadways and vehicles across town.

Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.

Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.

Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.

Numerous trees and power lines were downed along with some structural damage.

Numerous trees and power lines were downed across town. The hardest hit areas were in southeast sections of town near Interstate 35. Trees up to 30 feet tall were down in roads and across roofs and lawns in this area.

Strong sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph behind an area of thunderstorms occurred in west central and southwest Oklahoma. Wind gusts between 55 and 62 mph were measured in this area. The highest gust of 62 mph was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet station located 4 miles WNW of Bessie in Washita County at 0445 CST. Large tree limbs were downed in Elk City in Beckham County. Two people were also injured on Interstate 40, southeast of Elk City, when the high winds overturned the tractor trailer they were in.

Trees approximately 12 inches in diameter were blown down in the north central portion of town.

Power lines were downed near the junction of State Highway 7 and US Highway 81.

A large tree was downed near the intersection of Classen Boulevard (State Highway 77) and Tulsa Street.

A fence was blown down between Interstate 35 and Shields Boulevard.

At 6:00 am CST, the emergency manager for Oklahoma City reported that flash flooding had closed the underpass on NE 23rd Avenue at the junction of Interstate 235 in Oklahoma City. Flood depths were up to 6 feet in some places. Several motorists were stranded due to the deep water and had to be rescued by Oklahoma City emergency personnel, including a news crew from KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City.

At 6:20 am CST, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff reported 3 to 4 feet of water over U.S. Highways 270 and 177 on the south side of Shawnee, OK. In addition, floodwaters covered U.S. Highway 177 in several places between Shawnee and Tecumseh, OK.

At 7:20 am CST, the emergency manager for Midwest City, OK reported that Soldier Creek had overflowed its banks and flooded the intersections of NE 10th Street and Midwest Boulevard, and Woodside Drive and E. Reno Avenue near Joe B. Barnes Regional Park. Flood depths were deep enough to close the NE 10th Street/Midwest Boulevard intersection. Near this intersection, about 50 apartment units and several automobiles at the Fairfax Apartment complex were also flooded out during the morning of August 11, and many residents had to be evacuated and relocated. Flooding of streets and fields occurred in the regional park.In addition, flash flooding occurred at approximately 7:00 am CST after Crutcho Creek overflowed its banks near the intersection of NE 23rd Street and Air Depot Boulevard in Midwest City. The school yard and building hallways on the south side of the Crutcho School campus received shallow flooding. U.S. Interstate 40 was also closed from Air Depot Boulevard to Midwest Boulevard due to high water.At approximately 7:00 am CST, flash flooding also produced damage at Tinker Air Force Base including flooding of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and damage at the base's golf course and bowling alley.

At approximately 7:00 am CST, Eldon Lynn Park in Bethany, OK was inundated by flash flooding. City crews had to use water pumps later in the day to remove the floodwaters from the park.

At approximately 7:00 am CST, flash flooding inundated the intersection of Western Avenue and North 234th Street (Sorghum Mill Road) in far northern Oklahoma County. A motorist was rescued by Edmond firefighters after her car was swept off of Western Avenue in the floodwaters. She escaped the flooding with no injuries.

At approximately 7:00 am CST, the City manager for Yukon, OK reported that flash flooding occurred in the flood plain on the north side of Yukon, and that several roads were closed for the rest of the morning on August 11.

The most significant heavy rainfall and flooding event of the month occurred during the morning and afternoon of August 11. During this period a strong upper level system and associated cold front pushed eastward through Oklahoma and produced multiple rounds of thunderstorms near and ahead of the front.The thunderstorms dropped heavy rain in a narrow swath from north central through central Oklahoma, including Garfield, Logan, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie counties. Storm total rainfall amounts ranged from 2.5 inches to near 5.0 inches. Some of the highest totals measured included: Choctaw, OK - 5.02 inches; Harrah, OK - 5.00 inches; Mulhall 1SE, OK - 4.50 inches; Guthrie 5S, OK - 4.45 inches; Spencer 3NE, OK - 4.44 inches; Edmond, OK - 4.27 inches; Lovell 3E, OK - 3.87 inches; Tinker AFB, OK - 3.80 inches; Seward 1N, OK - 3.63 inches; Arcadia, OK - 3.60 inches; Shawnee 3NNW, OK - 3.47 inches; and Enid 10E, OK - 2.79 inches.The subsequent heavy runoff produced by these rains generated flash flooding and riverine flooding in central Oklahoma in Oklahoma, Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties.Minor flooding occurred along the North Canadian River in Oklahoma County and Lincoln County near and at two forecast points in the area. The North Canadian River at Oklahoma City, OK (Britton Road Bridge) crested at 19.1 feet, 2.1 feet above flood stage, at 9:30 am CST on August 11, and remained above flood stage from 8:30 am CST to 12:30 pm CST on August 11. Further downstream, the North Canadian River near Harrah, OK crested at 15.9 feet, 1.9 feet above flood stage, at 3:30 pm CST on August 11, and remained above flood stage from 2:30 pm CST to 7:00 pm CST on August 11. The Lincoln County emergency manager reported minor flooding in agricultural fields along the North Canadian River in extreme southwestern Lincoln County during the afternoon of August 11.Deer Creek in northwest Oklahoma County also overflowed its banks during the morning of August 11, and covered Meridian Avenue. The high flows would eventually route downstream into Cottonwood Creek in Logan County, and produce moderate within-bank rises near Seward, OK and Guthrie, OK during the evening of August 11 and early morning of August 12.