Crews responded Thursday to a reported water rescue after a vehicle became stuck in floodwaters covering Banner Road near El Reno, with a white SUV seen stranded in the water near State Highway 66 between Yukon and El Reno. Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials said the flooding was caused by a nearby river that had overflowed its banks, swamping the rural roadway.
KOCO 5 crews witnessed the stuck SUV firsthand as floodwater covered the crossing, according to KOCO. The station reported that central Oklahoma had endured two straight days of heavy rainfall, with scattered rain continuing Thursday morning and El Reno collecting just shy of 10 inches of rain over the previous 48 hours. Banner Road lies between Yukon and El Reno near the North Canadian River; the NOAA National Water Prediction Service provides a gauge for the river.
A Record-Setting Soaking Across Western Oklahoma
The deluge behind Thursday's rescue traces back to an extraordinary atmospheric setup. An upper-air sounding taken by the National Weather Service in Norman on October 14 measured 2.23 inches of precipitable water, the highest October reading on record, as tropical moisture interacted with a low-pressure system moving over the Plains, according to The Watchers. That moisture produced radar-estimated rainfall totals of 4 to 11 inches across Canadian, Kingfisher, Blaine, and Caddo counties.
The flooding was not confined to Banner Road. Farther west, the Canadian River near Bridgeport stood at 16.9 feet and was forecast to crest near 17.2 feet, threatening pastures, farmland, and oil well operations in Canadian and Caddo counties, per a flood warning relayed by Air Sports Net.
Why Low-Water Crossings Turn Deadly So Fast
The Watchers reported that drivers should not enter flooded roads and cited the National Weather Service's warning that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Canadian County has faced this kind of emergency before. During a severe flood event in May 2019, more than 40 water rescues were conducted countywide; CNN also described boats near El Reno, while floodwaters submerged local roads and shut down Interstate 40.
Historical Crests and What Comes Next
River readings included 16.9 feet on the Canadian River near Bridgeport, with a forecast crest near 17.2 feet. The North Canadian River near El Reno reached a crest of 23.33 feet on August 20, 2007, following the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin, per the National Weather Service. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management coordinates with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, ODOT, and local emergency managers; highway closures are also addressed during emergencies.
The KOCO 5 First Alert Weather Team, which has been certified by WeatheRate as providing the most accurate forecast in Oklahoma City for 14 consecutive years, has been tracking the system under chief meteorologist Damon Lane. Hoodline previously reported on the flood watch ahead of the storm, which is expected to give way to a sharp cold front, with highs near 83 degrees Wednesday and 80 degrees Thursday before falling to about 49 degrees Friday.
