Burbank Residents Clean Up After Spring Flood

BURBANK, Oklahoma -- The hardest hit area in last night's storm was Osage County, where many had to evacuate their homes.

04/30/2012 Related Story: Some Northern Oklahoma Counties Flooded, Homes Evacuated

It's been a rough day for the small community of Burbank. Many woke up to their houses surrounded by water with no way out.

"It was just like an actual river coming straight through here," Carol Baur said. "It was really swift and pretty crazy."

Carol Baur spends most of the day fixing what Mother Nature destroyed.

"It pretty much got in the den, ruined the carpet and everything," Baur said, "Got in the garage. Thought it was going to get in the rest of the house, but it never did."

Unfortunately, the family down the street wasn't as lucky.

"I walked to the front door and the current of the river was already coming through," said Lisa Collisn, whose house flooded.

Lisa Collisn has only lived in her house for five weeks. She said the home is considered the chili bowl of town, meaning when the heavy rain comes, it's bound to flood.

"The water was rushing through here so quick that, I mean, that was the only dry land we seen," Collisn said.

So she packs up the kids and pets and heads for higher ground.

"Everybody came over and bonded together," said Kathy Ingram, her home was also threatened by water. "I met neighbors I have never really met before and so we got to know one another and be safe together."

The Burbank Fire Chief said this is the worst flood the town has seen in 15 years.

"I was thinking, ‘oh my goodness, here it comes,'" Chief Cordelia Reed said. "It was horrible, I was hoping that the rain would stop earlier in the night, but it didn't."

Residents say they're on guard just in case more rain comes during the night.

The water also went right up to the post office door. They didn't want to take any chances, so all of the mail was moved to post offices in surrounding towns.