Flood Waters Still Keeping Residents From Their Homes

The receding waters are beginning to ease the pain in Washington County, but The News On 6â€™s Carina Sonn reports it may not be safe for people to go back to their homes just yet. <br/><br/>"I was scared

Tuesday, July 3rd 2007, 11:48 am

By: News On 6

The receding waters are beginning to ease the pain in Washington County, but The News On 6â€™s Carina Sonn reports it may not be safe for people to go back to their homes just yet.

"I was scared of being trapped in there and not being able to get help,â€ said Linda Sisk.

Linda and David Sisk left their neighborhood on Sunday, because the water was getting close. They've seen minor flooding over the years, but didn't want to take the chance this time. The shelter in Bartlesville is the couple's new home, for now.

"I feel like we're very, very lucky that we're where we're at,â€ Sisk.

The Sisks say flood waters crept close but don't think their home saw any damage.

Tamra Lee was also forced to stay at the shelter. She lives in a first floor apartment that's now covered in as much as four feet of water. She says it started getting high on Saturday and did what she could before she left.

"That's when I started piling everything up, on top of beds and bathtubs and piling things up high because I didn't have any way of moving anything out,â€ Lee said.

It will be several days before many people in Washington County will be allowed back into their homes. Authorities are also reminding residents to keep contamination in mind, by wearing rubber gloves and boots. Emergency Management officials say one of their main concerns is residents will reenter their homes too soon.

Traffic in Washington County is slowly returning to normal, but emergency crews say drivers should still be careful when they head back into their neighborhoods.

Watch the video: Washington County Residents Still Battling The High Waters

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