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WGUS74 KTSA 200244

FFSTUL

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



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK

845 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 845 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 

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST TOWARD THE 

WARNED AREA FROM NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.



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 824 PM CST...CHOCTAW COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS 

WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF COUNTY ROADS ACROSS THE 

COUNTY...WITH MANY ROADS AND SOME BRIDGES WASHED OUT. HIGHWAY 70  IS 

SUBMERGED WEST OF SOPER...AND NEAR BOSWELL. HIGHWAY 109 IS 

UNDERWATER IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS BETWEEN ORD AND FROGVILLE. MANY 

COUNTY ROADS HAVE 5 TO 6 FEET OF WATER SUBMERGING THEM. 



AT 832 PM CST...THE PITTSBURG COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS THAT 

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

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

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



AT 830 PM CST...THE SEBASTIAN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED THAT 

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

SOUTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY.



AT 830 PM CST...CRAWFORD COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED 

SOME COUNTY ROADS REMAIN FLOODED ACROSS THE COUNTY. 



AT 830 PM CST...FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED THAT 

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

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

LOCK AND DAM. IN ADDITION...MULBERRY CREEK WAS OUT OF ITS BANKS OVER 

BRIDGES.



AT 745 PM CST...THE PUSHMATAHA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED 

COUNTY ROADS FLOODED IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.



AT 715 PM CST...LE FLORE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED CREEKS 

AND STREAMS RUNNING OUT OF THEIR BANKS. FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED 

IN PANAMA...POTEAU...HODGENS AND HEAVENER. OLD HIGHWAY 112 WAS 

CLOSED NEAR POTEAU.



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.



$$



MANNING

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