A US Foods truck was swept off a roadway by floodwaters in Kingfisher County on Wednesday, and its driver was rescued. Loyal and Omega Fire Rescue and a county boat rescued the driver.
The rescue came as flash flooding hit towns across the region, with 9 to 10 inches of rain swamping Kingfisher County, according to KOKH. The National Weather Service office in Norman extended Flash Flood Warnings across central and western Oklahoma that same day, with radar-estimated rainfall totals ranging between 4 and 11 inches across Canadian, Kingfisher, Blaine, and Caddo counties, as reported by The Watchers. The agency classified the flash flood damage threat as considerable across low-lying areas.
Rainfall Totals Shatter Months of Drought Accumulation
Oklahoma Mesonet weather station data recorded 24-hour rainfall totals peaking at 9.2 inches in Hinton and 8.5 inches in Elk City, with widespread 3-to-6-inch accumulations across surrounding central Oklahoma communities, according to the Oklahoma Farm Report. Rain fell heavily during the peak of the thunderstorms.
Oklahoma State Climatologist Gary McManus noted that several west-central and central Oklahoma locations received more rain in a single 12-hour window than they had accumulated during the prior four months combined. The deluge caused flooding across the region.
Roads Washed Out Across Kingfisher County
Heavy runoff caused road inundations and washouts in the region. Flooding also left roads impassable in parts of the region.
Hurricane Polo remnants were associated with a separate October 1 Oklahoma City flooding event, Hoodline previously reported; the October 14 storm involved moisture associated with Hurricane Simon and an approaching upper-level low and frontal boundary. The storm brought tropical moisture into Oklahoma.
Kingfisher's History With Catastrophic Flooding
This is not the first time Kingfisher has faced devastating floodwaters. In August 2007, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin stalled over central Oklahoma and caused severe creek flooding that resulted in more than $20 million in localized damages, according to KGOU. That disaster prompted the city to launch a $7 million flood plain buyout program, funded by local, state, and federal sources, to clear high-risk residential properties along the creek — work that earned Kingfisher a Municipal Innovation Award from the Oklahoma Municipal League in 2014. Parks and trails were planned for the buyout properties.
Officials Urge Drivers to Avoid Flooded Roads
The National Weather Service says most flood deaths occur in vehicles, while Hoodline warns that six inches of water can reach the bottom of most passenger vehicles. Drivers are urged to stay out of floodwaters and avoid driving around barricades. The Kingfisher buyout was intended to protect citizens and property from flooding.
