Flooding Again Across Oklahoma

Tuesday, June 26th 2007, 11:28 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ More heavy rains pounded Oklahoma Tuesday, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and flooding homes and businesses in central and southwestern parts of the state.

One woman was evacuated from her home Tuesday in north Tecumseh and an evacuation center was set up at the Tecumseh City Hall after 3 1/2 inches of rain fell in the area in less than 12 hours, said Melvin Potter, the city's emergency management director.

Roads and highways across the state were shut down because of water coming over the roadway.

Several homes and businesses in low-lying areas near Walters also were flooded early Tuesday, and electricity for about half of the town was knocked out after a lightning strike, said Cotton County Emergency Director Lindel Zachary.

In Waurika in southwest Oklahoma, Cow Creek flooded its banks, forcing the closure of Highway 70 leading into town and flooding several businesses.

``I've got 8 inches of standing water in my shop,'' said Waurika Emergency Management Director Harold Winton, who owns an automotive shop along Highway 70. ``They say we're going to get more of it for the next four or five days. You might want to call back Thursday and make sure we're still here.''

Heavy flooding and road closures also were reported in Waurika in Cotton County, where East Cache Creek went over its banks and flooded county roads and farmland.

Some of the highest 24-hour rainfall totals reported at noon Tuesday included Walters (5 inches), Randlett (4.8), Chattanooga (3.49), Duncan (3.48) and Waurika (3.2).

More wet weather was expected for the next several days as a moist air mass lingering over the state mixed with an upper level, low-pressure system, said Forrest Mitchell, a weather forecaster with the National Weather Service in Norman.

``We have ongoing rain, some if it heavy, and it looks like it's going to continue,'' Mitchell said. ``We're not forecasting any dry weather until the weekend.''

Meanwhile, most of eastern Oklahoma remains under a flash flood watch. That watch is in effect through Thursday evening.