OKMULGEE, Okla. — As of late April 30, at least 15 road blockages had been reported throughout the county due to floodwaters caused by torrential rains.
Some, like Gun Club Road north of downtown Okmulgee, already come equipped with flood warning signs. Even elevated trucks found themselves in dangerously high waters during the day.
"I asked the dude that came through earlier. I was like, 'How deep is it?' He said up to his tires. I said, 'Oh'," Okmulgee resident Brent Crump told 2 News.
Due to flow from Tulsa and out west, rivers bode the most danger heading into May 1, according to emergency management director Jeff Moore.
"Deep Fork River still continues to rise on our last check," Moore told 2 News. "It was right at 18 feet which is flood stage up near Beggs in the Dentonville (Road) bridge area. So it's gonna continue to rise to at least 21.5 feet. We're gonna continue to have some water coming into Okmulgee County from the north all the way to the south."
Moore said while no homes have been damaged in the highest rain total event of the year for the county so far, first responders are challenged by some drivers taking their chances on flooded roads.
"There was actually a truck that had gone around the barricades and went all the way down to where the water was just so he could say, 'I'm just out looking around,'" Moore added. "We don't need people out looking around. We (also) had a water rescue in Okmulgee."
Okmulgee Lake at The Spillway also remains a concern, Moore said. Water had gotten within a few feet from Highway 56 just before 5 p.m. April 30.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
