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WGUS74 KTSA 192356

FFSTUL

ARC033-047-131-OKC023-077-079-121-127-200400-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK

555 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002



...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR FRANKLIN...CRAWFORD...   

SEBASTIAN...LE FLORE...PITTSBURG...LATIMER...PUSHMATAHA AND CHOCTAW 

COUNTIES UNTIL 1000 PM CST...

...VERY DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING OCCURRING...



AT 555 PM CST...RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WITH 

EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL 

ARKANSAS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WITH 

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WERE MOVING NORTHEAST TOWARD THE AREA FROM NORTH 

CENTRAL TEXAS. 



RADAR AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATE THAT WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS RAINFALL 

AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN OVER THE WARNED 

AREA. ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ALONG AND 

SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MCALESTER OKLAHOMA TO HUNTSVILLE. 2 TO 3 INCHES 

OF RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CLAYTON 

OKLAHOMA TO FORT SMITH ARKANSAS THIS EVENING.



AT 545 PM CST...CHOCTAW COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS 

WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF COUNTY ROADS ACROSS THE 

COUNTY...WITH MANY ROADS WASHED OUT. BRIDGE DAMAGE HAS ALSO BEEN 

REPORTED. MANY COUNTY ROADS HAVE 5 TO 6 FEET OF WATER SUBMERGING 

THEM. 



AT 537 PM CST...THE PITTSBURG COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS THAT 

HIGHWAY 31 3 MILES WEST OF MCALESTER...AND HIGHWAY 63 4 MILES WEST 

OF HAILEYVILLE...WERE BOTH CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER. IN 

ADDITION...COUNTY ROADS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS WERE FLOODED.



AT 533 PM CST...THE PUSHMATAHA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED 

COUNTY ROADS FLOODED NEAR ANTLERS. 



AT 528 PM CST...THE SEBASTIAN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED THAT 

SEVERAL COUNTY ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING...MAINLY IN THE 

SOUTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY.



AT 525 PM CST...CRAWFORD COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED 

SOME COUNTY ROADS FLOODED ACROSS THE COUNTY. 



AT 516 PM CST...FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED THAT 

HIGHWAY 23 BY TURNERS BEND WAS BEING CLOSED...AND A FEW OTHER COUNTY 

ROADS WERE BEING CLOSED...INCLUDING ONE BY A SMALL MUDSLIDE NEAR THE 

OZARK LOCK AND DAM. 



AT 500 PM CST...LE FLORE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED CREEKS 

AND STREAMS RUNNING OUT OF THEIR BANKS. IN ADDITION...A WATER RESCUE 

WAS BEING PERFORMED ON THE KIAMICHI RIVER EAST OF BIG CEDAR. MINOR 

FLOODING HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED IN HEAVENER AND POTEAU. 



THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FLOOD EVENT. WHEN WATER RISES MOVE TO 

HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY 

LIFE THREATENING SITUATION 



ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY CAUSE ONGOING FLOODING TO WORSEN. 

TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE DANGERS OF 

RISING WATER. RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL 

ARKANSAS SHOULD CAREFULLY MONITOR WEATHER AND FLOODING CONDITIONS    

TONIGHT. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN PARTS OF THE 

WARNED AREA...WITH ADDITIONAL TORRENTIAL RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER THE 

NEXT FEW HOURS AGAIN...THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING...DANGEROUS 

SITUATION 



DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE

ROADWAY. THE WATER MAY BE TOO DEEP TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY.

VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO

HIGHER GROUND.



A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT. IT IS

IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR

CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS SHOULD AVOID

CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS.



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MANNING

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