Weekend Rainfall Damages Roadways, Some Remain Underwater In Okmulgee County

Several areas in Okmulgee County are still underwater after the area saw more rainfall over the weekend. The new rainfall affected holiday travel and even the area's big July 4 fireworks show.

Okmulgee County resident Danny Wallace's Fourth of July plans went up in smoke Sunday night, after the city postponed the fireworks show at Okmulgee's City Park due to the flooding.

“It’s disappointing,” Wallace said. “When I came out there, I didn’t hear any fireworks popping and my sister told me they got canceled and we found out it was because of the flood.”

“We were really excited to watch the fireworks and it was kind of disappointing whenever we weren’t able to because we didn’t buy any fireworks. Because we wanted to watch the fireworks here at the park,” Okmulgee resident Elizabeth Barnett added. 

County officials said the water at the park is two feet deep in some areas. You can see soccer goals and park benches now underwater. Officials said this is just part of the damage. 

“We just can’t get a break,” Okmulgee County emergency management director Tim Craighton said.

Craighton said several county roads are either flooded or damaged -- like Sharp Road -- which caved in and is now impassable. 

The damage, according to Craighton, is from all the extra water from surrounding areas that’s flowing into Okmulgee’s Deep Fork River nearby.

"Most of the water we have now is from rains that Oklahoma City, Creek County, Lincoln County and all that — and it’s finally arrived in Okmulgee County and brought the river out of its banks,” Craighton explained. "We just don’t get breaks here but that’s all right. That’s kind of the norm around here."

Craighton said the damage will take days even weeks to fix. He urges people to take alternate routes, if you can, and to not move road signs.