Oklahoma experienced a weekend of significant rainfall that has provided much-needed relief to drought-stricken areas, according to State Climatologist Gary McManus. However, this welcome moisture came with a harsh reality familiar to Oklahomans: severe weather, including deadly flooding and several tornadoes.
“The rain over the weekend has certainly helped with the drought, obviously,” McManus stated, acknowledging the positive impact on dry conditions. “We needed rain, desperately in some areas, and we did have some wonderful totals here and there over the weekend.” Despite the drought relief, the intense nature of the storms led to tragic consequences. “But it was way too much in too short of time in lots of places, as was feared before the storms,” McManus added, highlighting the dangers of Oklahoma’s volatile weather. “Being Oklahoma, those storms brought lots of not-nice-stuff with them, the worst of which was the loss of lives due to the flooding and the half-dozen or so tornadoes.” Eastern Oklahoma totals have resulted in flooding with at least three locations receiving 6 inches or more- Okemah, Holdenville and Newport the stations with those totals.
The threat of severe weather is not over for the week, as McManus cautioned residents to remain aware of potential storms in the coming days. “The severe weather isn’t over (is it ever?) this week, as we will have several chances for storms coming over the next several days,” he noted. While current forecasts don’t indicate widespread outbreaks, McManus emphasized the unpredictable nature of Oklahoma weather. “It doesn’t look like outbreak situations, but it is Oklahoma after all, and these things can get worse as the forecasts evolve.” He specifically pointed to the risk of flash flooding with Tuesday’s storms, particularly in western Oklahoma.
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