Area Towns Prepare For The Worst

Wednesday, July 4th 2007, 2:59 pm

By: News On 6

About half of the residents in Bartlesville were allowed to go back to their homes Wednesday to begin cleaning up. The News On 6â€™s Carina Sonn reports others along the river, though, have been preparing for the possibility that flood waters may creep up their doorstep.

Every step is one closer to reality for Ronnie Powell, who had several inches of water in his Bartlesville home, but he's got his boots on and says he's ready to go to work.

"The floors will probably have to be rechanged. It ruined some of the sheet rock. Right now I'm just kind of stunned out, what to do and everything,â€ Powell said.

Powell bought his house in 1987, one year after the devastating flood that hit every home in the neighborhood. Catherine Green was here for that one.

"It's not that bad now, because like I said I just got probably eight inches or so,â€ Green said.

Green says the water started coming up on Sunday morning, but it wasn't enough for her and her husband to leave their home. They decided to stick it out.

"We've been here. We never left. We just moved the stuff upstairs and took my furniture out," Green said.

The Caney River is causing some real problems for residents in Bartlesville. The cleanup process is just beginning. Down south of Bartlesville, folks are wondering if they're the next target.

"It took me about six hours on the phone to find a U-Haul because of all the flooding around here. All the trucks I guess are rented,â€ said Collinsville resident Richard Councilman.

Councilman lives in rural Collinsville, where the Caney River has flooded side roads and forced residents to prepare for the worst. Councilman has water in his yard, and is ready to leave if the water gets too high. The National Weather Service forecasts the river will crest early Thursday morning, eight feet above flood stage.

Fortunately even at that level, Councilman says he and his neighbors should be okay.

Watch the video: Collinsville Prepares For Possible Flooding

For more flooding information, check out our STORM ZONE web page.