From Drought To Flooding

I can almost hear residents of Green Country singing in unison, "Rain, rain go away, come again another day!" Spring officially began with flooding rains thanks to a stalled but potent upper-level low. It brought too much of a good thing to eastern Oklahoma, with some areas seeing well over 8 inches of rain! Even in Tulsa County, 5-inch multi-day rain totals were common. We had an initial round of severe thunderstorms Monday followed by a deluge of heavy rain. Since then, the low pressure system has meandered to our west, bringing round after round of rain… and we're not quite done yet.

All of this water caused many streams and rivers to flood. Fortunately, the flooding was limited to the "usual suspects." The Illinois River crept above flood stage for a bit with the Neosho River near Commerce running about 5 feet above that mark. Springtime flooding is nothing new to Oklahoma, but having a rain event lasting for nearly 5 days is unusual (and troublesome). Saturated ground can hold no additional water so any rain that we have seen since Tuesday morning has been run-off, which leads to localized flooding.

While flooding was a negative consequence, the rain did GREATLY alleviate, if not entirely, eliminate the drought for most of Oklahoma! The 19-month long drought took a major hit as the map shows above. The state went from 27% drought-free to 63% drought-free. That's HUGE! And it only accounts for rain through Tuesday morning. More improvement in the Drought Monitor will likely occur next week as well. The decimation of the drought and the reduction in fire danger was really a nice way to start off the new season. Even fishermen along the flooded banks of the Neosho River took advantage of the unique and apparently excellent fishing conditions for certain fish!

As much good as the rain has done, I think most of us are ready to see the sunshine. The upper-level low will deal us one final blow on Thursday – giving us the risk of heavy downpours, hail, and even a few weak tornadoes known as cold air funnels. The system will finally be booted out of here tonight allowing for warm and dry weather to make a return for the weekend. Needless to say Green Country is living up to its name, thanks to the rain. Once the sun is out and the waters recede, we will be left with beautiful scenery (and a lot of grass to mow!)

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