Fort Gibson Mayor To Address City Flooding Concerns

Heavy rains sent water into homes in Fort Gibson on Memorial Day, and now the community wants answers from the mayor. Mayor Brad Clinkenbeard is planning to address the public Tuesday night at a town council meeting.

Clinkenbeard talked to reporters Tuesday morning. He said he doesn't have an estimate on flood damage, but he says his heart goes out to the families affected by it.

Folks say the water was higher than waist deep on the east side of town and that it started carrying away vehicles. We know at least one family was displaced in that area from the damage.

"We had to wade. We had to wade the whole way, basically. Keep her above the water. It was wet for sure," said resident Drake Jones.

5/26/2014 Related Story: Heavy Rains Flood Homes, Streets In Fort Gibson, Broken Arrow

He said they had to pick up his girlfriend's daughter at the end of the road, because it was unsafe to drive back in here.

Resident Krysten Willey lives on South Street - closer to town. She said she was not aware that the street was a flood plain when she moved there in November.

The city says it's classified as a low-risk flood area and that Willey was told the home gets water during heavy rain. The mayor says the area, called Cooper Creek Basin, has flooded for years and it's common knowledge.

"It really just comes down to the bottom line - our financial situation," Clinkenbeard said. "We've had two different studies done on Cooper Creek and it's a multi-million dollar issue."

He told the media they will start pursuing FEMA money to fix the basin.