Park Road Opened, Campers Allowed To Leave

DAVIS, Okla. (AP) _ Hundreds of Memorial Day campers stranded at a popular central Oklahoma recreational spot because of high floodwaters were allowed to leave on Monday. More than 1,000 campers were

Monday, May 28th 2007, 4:13 pm

By: News On 6

DAVIS, Okla. (AP) _ Hundreds of Memorial Day campers stranded at a popular central Oklahoma recreational spot because of high floodwaters were allowed to leave on Monday. More than 1,000 campers were trapped inside the park when heavy rains sent Honey Creek over its banks, flooding the only entrance to the campgrounds, said park manager Tom Graham. No injuries were reported, and the only way into the campgrounds was along a foot bridge over the swollen creek.

Park officials opened a building inside the park to allow rain-soaked campers to dry out, and the Red Cross delivered food and supplies, Graham said.

By 8 a.m. Monday, the floodwaters subsided enough so that motorists could cross the low-water road leading to the campgrounds.

``The park is going to be closed for two or three days,'' Graham said. ``We've still got a lot of cleanup to do.''

Other parts of the state may need cleaning up because of a slowly changing weather pattern parked over region.

Some 24-hour rainfall totals included 1.95 inches in Perry; 3.5 in Ingalls; 3.49 inches in Lebanon and 6.05 in Loco, the National Weather Service reported.

According to the weather service, flooding will be a concern through the end of the week as another storm system sets its sights on Oklahoma.

The heavy rain forced some evacuations in Carter County over the weekend, including campers near the Washita River bridge on Oklahoma Highway 53.

In Lawton, authorities rescued several stranded motorists and seven homes received water damage, officials reported.

The weather service canceled a flood watch for parts of southern Oklahoma, but it remained in effect until Tuesday afternoon for 13 counties in east-central sections, where 2 to 3 inches of rain an hour was common on Monday.

After heavy rains Saturday, Graham said he and other park employees began warning campers Saturday evening that if they didn't leave the campgrounds, they might get trapped inside.

``We can't force people to leave,'' he said. ``If they've paid to stay, they can stay.''

Graham said he spent much of the day Sunday keeping campers away from the raging water on the creek.

``The current was still very strong, and it was just way too dangerous to get into the water,'' he said.

Watch the video: Weather Dampens Campers Fun