Oklahoma, 2009

Flood in Oklahoma, October 9 to 11, 2009

October 9 to 11, 2009 · NWS TSA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Tropical moisture interacting with a slow-moving cold front produced widespread heavy rainfall across northeastern Oklahoma on October 8th with amounts from two to five inches common and amounts of five to seven inches locally. This heavy rainfall resulted in moderate flooding along the Illinois River near Tahlequah.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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.

Tropical moisture interacting with a slow-moving cold front produced widespread heavy rainfall across northeastern Oklahoma on October 8th with amounts from two to five inches common and amounts of five to seven inches locally. This heavy rainfall resulted in moderate flooding along the Illinois River near Tahlequah.

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 Oct 9, 11:28 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 9, 11:28 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 9, 11:57 AM CST, 48 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 9, 9:27 AM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 9, 9:57 AM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 9, 10:32 AM CST, 2 hours 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 9, 10:55 AM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 9, 11:13 AM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 9, 11:26 AM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
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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, Cherokee

When
October 9, 12:45 PM CST to October 11, 11:15 AM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Tahlequah to 5 mi SE of Tahlequah
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.920, -94.970

The Illinois River near Tahlequah rose above its flood stage of 11 feet at 1:45 p.m. CDT on October 9th. The river crested at 17.65 feet at 8:00 p.m. CDT on the 10th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 12:15 p.m. CDT on the 11th.

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

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, October 2009

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 199444.