Oklahoma Roads ReOpen After Flooding

Tuesday, July 31st 2007, 5:29 am

By: News On 6

KINGFISHER, Okla. (AP) _ A thunderstorm dropped more than 3 inches of rain on this central Oklahoma community in about one hour on Monday, causing flash flooding that trapped motorists and forced the closure of several roads.

Portions of U.S. Highway 81 and Oklahoma Highway 33 leading out of Kingfisher were closed Monday afternoon because of high water in the roadway, said Kingfisher County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis.

``We just got a heavy downpour with several inches of rain that came down so fast it had no way to get out of there,'' Loftis said. ``Right now we're just trying to keep people from driving down flooded roadways.''

Both highways were reopened by about 8:30 p.m., officials said.

Several neighborhood streets also were closed, and several cars were at least partially submerged as city and state workers set up road blocks to keep motorists off flooded streets.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for Kingfisher, Pottawatomie and Oklahoma counties Monday afternoon.

Kingfisher firefighters waded into high water and pushed one stalled car to dry land, Fire Chief Randy Poindexter said.

The vehicle with three people inside stalled in a low area during flash flooding east of U.S. 81 on Highway 33, he said. Another car stalled on SH 33 at 10th Street, but everyone inside it got out, Poindexter said.

He said firefighters had a boat ready if more rain fell Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the rain caused a unique problem for Rusty Sanders, owner of Sanders Funeral Service in Kingfisher. During a funeral, rainwater fell into an empty grave.

``I thought, `Good Lord.' It's right there at ground level,'' said Sanders. ``I've seen rain before, but nothing like this.

``We had to borrow a pump from the cemetery. Then we were able to lower the casket and everything was fine,'' he said.

It took about an hour for the water to be pumped out.

According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, which records precipitation amounts and other weather, Kingfisher received about 3.54 inches of rain. Other amounts included 1.9 inches in Norman; 1.57 in Byars; 1.39 in Hugo; 1.01 in Camargo and 1 inch in Okemah.