Heavy rain has some areas of Green Country worried

Wednesday, June 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Heavy rain drenched parts of already soggy Oklahoma on Wednesday morning, prompting the closing of U.S. 62 near Proctor and causing widespread flooding throughout Cherokee County.

A dispatcher said there were no immediate problems with the heavy rains.
Cookson had recorded 6.14 inches of rain since midnight, the National Weather Service said.

Other totals recorded at 10 a.m. included 4.52 inches at Webbers Falls, 5.90 at Westville, 4.22 at Tahlequah, 3.22 at Sallisaw, 2.86 at Haskell, 2.53 at Okmulgee,2.35 at Perkins and 2.23 at Stigler.

The National Weather Service said major flooding is expected along the Illinois River near Watts as the river is forecast to reach 24.4 feet before dawn Thursday. Flood stage is 13 feet and the river stood at 16.8 feet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Severe flooding is expected from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge and points downstream.

The weather service said many cabins in the Fidler's Bend area would be severely flooded or cutoff from access.

Farmlands, campgrounds and a few cabins are expected to become isolated by high water along the Illinois. The weather service said the river isn't safe for floating at this time. Moderate flooding is expected on other stretches of the river and near Tahlequah, major flooding is forecast with the river expected to reach 19.1 feet, or 8.1 feet above flood stage, by Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday's showers and thunderstorms were falling on areas already saturated by weekend rains. The chance for flooding existed in a wide area of eastern Oklahoma through the day because of the chance of more rain.

Highs were predicted in the lower 80s in the northwest to upper80s in the south for Wednesday. A good chance of showers and thunderstorms continues into Wednesday evening with lows near 60 in the Panhandle to near 70 elsewhere.

Thursday's forecast includes a slight chance to a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs are predicted in the upper 80s to near 90, with lows in the lower 60s in the Panhandle to lower 70sin the east.

Friday is predicted to be partly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the east and fair skies in the west. Highs are forecast to be near 90 to the mid 90s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast for the weekend.

Highs are forecast for the low to mid 90s for Saturday ,and near 90s to the mid 90s for Sunday. Lows throughout the weeken dare predicted in the mid 60s in the Panhandle to mid 70s in the east.