Floodwaters Plague Pauls Valley Businesses, Schools, Farmlands

Overnight rainfall continued through the day Wednesday, dumping 6 to 7 inches of water on Pauls Valley in Garvin County. Some reports locally topped 9 inches of rain. The region's geography often traps the water leaving it no place to go. 

“Welcome to Pauls Valley,” School Superintendent Mike Martin said. “We are not new to flooding.” 

After the deluge, Martin is leading cleanup efforts in the district’s junior high building for the third time in six years. He said a "waterfall" has formed behind the school's walls, rushing water to the building’s lowest floor. 

“We have restoration teams over there now. We mediated that area in the past where, when it does happen, we can hopefully minimize the damage that we have,” Martin said. 

After the building flooded 6 years ago costing the district more than $150,000 in repairs, the school installed water-resistant dry wall and quick clean up base boards. He estimates the restoration this year will cost less than $20,000. 

“We don’t know why or where it comes from, but we’ve contacted our insurance companies,” Martin said. “We have quite a mess to clean up.” 

However, before the Valley’s water clears the city making it to the river, it runs through John Beck Junior’s fields. 

“I’m losing crop land,” he said standing next to acers of submerged fields. “This is my livelihood. It would be like pouring water on your desk.” 

Beck said he has pleaded with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to cut a deeper ditch to the nearest river a half mile away. Instead, the water runs across 4 miles of farmland. 

“It just sickens me. I knew it was happening last night, but what do you do about it?” Beck said. “This is how we make our living, but you can’t make a living with this.”  

Garvin County Emergency Manager David Johnson said at-least six bridges are closed across the county after being washed out overnight.