MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The process for a multi-million-dollar project to protect Port Muskogee from future flooding began years after historic damage shut down operations and affected the local economy.
In 2019, the Arkansas River rose nearly 30 feet, leaving large portions of the port underwater for weeks and halting activity for months. The flooding caused widespread damage across the area, including nearby communities like Fort Gibson.
WATCH: $33M project aims to protect Port Muskogee from future flood damage
For Neddi Badgett, the memory of that flood was still vivid.
“This place was completely covered in water, we had to get out by rowboat,” Badgett said.
Badgett recalled watching the devastation unfold around her home, describing the shock of seeing belongings from her family and neighbors carried away by floodwaters.
“Seeing your families and neighbors' stuff floating around everything, everywhere,” Badgett said.
The Port Muskogee leaders said they're moving forward with a more than $33 million waterfront infrastructure improvement plan aimed at recovery and long-term protection.
According to information provided by the Port Authority, the project included replacing an aging dock more than 50 years old with a new heavy-lift dock that will double capacity. Plans also call for repairs to flood-damaged rail lines, upgrades to tracks and safety systems, and improvements to stormwater drainage.
Leaders said the goal was not only to repair past damage but to build infrastructure capable of withstanding future extreme weather events while supporting economic growth.
The project was supported in part by a $23.9 million federal grant and is expected to go out for bid in May, with construction anticipated to begin this fall.
For Badgett, the investment represents more than just rebuilding.
“That’s how Oklahoma is, we rebuild, we survive,” Badgett said.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- 2 News Oklahoma on your schedule | Download on your TV, watch for free. How to watch on your streaming device
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
