UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1313 times:
Okay, I know it wasn't a hurricane, BUT tropical depression "Erin" moved through Oklahoma this morning starting around 12AM and continued until just a few hours ago. According to the weathermen on Oklahoma Stations, (Which are some of the best weather stations and meteorologists in the world), they haven't seen anything like this before.
Winds reached hurricane force in some areas as a CLEARLY defined eye formed over the state, as the storm spinned around the area of low pressure. Areas in Oklahoma received 5-8" of rain in a very short time causing flooding in a huge swath of the state. Many local, state, and US roads were closed due to bridge collapses, flooding, and even sinkholes! (Never heard of this in OK). Major damage to buildings, farms, and homes with possible tornados spinning off the system as it moved through the area. Roofs ripped off buildings and houses.
Some areas of OK are still under 2-3 feet of water, with major river and creek flooding all over the central part of the state.
If anyone can find radar or satellite images of the storm from a few hours ago at its peak intensity, would really appreciate it!
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1272 times:
Edit: Just talked to my Grandfather, we are unsure of the status of the nursing homes. One is on Highway 81, which is closed due to flooding at the moment, and one is on Main St. in Kingfisher, which is currently closed due to flooding. Flood waters are at about 5 feet. Unsure if the patients have been evacuated or not. Currently, the currents of the flooding are too strong for rescue boats to attempt rescues. My grandfather tried to call the administrators at the nursing facilities, but has had no answer.
People are trapped on their rooftops as floodwaters continue to rise and the town continues to go underwater.
Oil is spewing from an underground pipeline sending an oil slick through downtown Kingfisher. So far, no building collapses have been reported, but from viewing the footage of the flood currents, they look like they are moving at about 15-20 mph, which can't be very good for structures.
Still can't find any images online of the floodwaters, so if anyone can, please post them.
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1246 times:
It's all over CNN if you guys want to watch. They were rescuing a couple who was trapped in the water and the woman fell from the helicopter, from about 30 feet. Amazing footage.
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1191 times:
Just got the news from my dad. They evacuated the nursing home in the lower part of Kingfisher and moved them to the other home, which is located on a hill in the town, and away from the water. They did an evacuation early, before any water was threatening the lower nursing home, which is good news.
RJdxer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1172 times:
Saw some of the video feeds. It reminded me of the levy breaks in Missouri during the Mississippi river floods in the '90s. That water is flowing very fast. All the rain in that area a month or so ago and now a gully washer and it's got nowhere to go. Hope they all had flood insurance.
BHMBAGLOCK From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2698 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1164 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Thread starter): Okay, I know it wasn't a hurricane, BUT tropical depression "Erin" moved through Oklahoma this morning starting around 12AM and continued until just a few hours ago. According to the weathermen on Oklahoma Stations, (Which are some of the best weather stations and meteorologists in the world), they haven't seen anything like this before.
Here in BHM this is a bit of a regular occurence as we're pretty much due north of the center of the Gulf of Mexico. It sucks but all in all I don't sweat it too much as I've always lived on some of the higher ground wherever I've been. OK is a bit flatter though so I'd expect more issues with flooding. I've also been through hurricanes/tropical storms in FL and PA over the years.
Quoting UAL747 (Thread starter): According to the weathermen on Oklahoma Stations, (Which are some of the best weather stations and meteorologists in the world), they haven't seen anything like this before.
Tornadoes are bad and pack very powerful power density but the total power of the largest tornado is a gnat on a hurricane's ass. They're very different animals due extreme respect and the boys in Coral Gables are the experts and I'm sure that the tornado experts in OK defer to them on their turf just as the Gables crew defer to OK on tornados.
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (5 years 9 months 6 days ago) and read 1155 times:
Quoting BHMBAGLOCK (Reply 9): Tornadoes are bad and pack very powerful power density but the total power of the largest tornado is a gnat on a hurricane's ass. They're very different animals due extreme respect and the boys in Coral Gables are the experts and I'm sure that the tornado experts in OK defer to them on their turf just as the Gables crew defer to OK on tornados.
Oh, I understand that completely. In OK, the meteorologists specialize in tornados. The largest land windspeed record was set here in OKC on May 3, 1999. But I do understand that the overall energy in a hurricane is much greater.
Jetmatt777 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 2661 posts, RR: 36 Reply 11, posted (5 years 9 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1147 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Reply 10): The largest land windspeed record was set here in OKC on May 3, 1999.
318 mph IIRC.
We got 7-8 inches of rain at my house, water seeped in under our front door, and our backyard was completely underwater.
I can't believe she formed an eye wall over dry , err, wet land. It may have lasted only a few minutes, but it was very defined.
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (5 years 9 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1144 times:
As we are speaking, there are carpet cleaning vans pumping water out of apartments all over my complex. I live on a hill in the complex, but the people down the hill from me have been having their floors pumped out all day long. I'm also seeing carpet just being totally removed from 1st floor apartments.
At first, this morning I didn't think there was hardly any flooding when I woke up (around 10AM), but I guess the carpet people were just late getting here. People were pulling stuff out of their apartments and putting them in trucks, and my neighbors just arrived home with some furniture in the back of their truck, so I guess they are dry now.
Queso From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (5 years 9 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1124 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Thread starter): If anyone can find radar or satellite images of the storm from a few hours ago at its peak intensity, would really appreciate it!
I know this isn't exactly what you meant but I actually took a shot of it as it made a "near-miss" on us yesterday here at KMAF (note the center of circulation just a few miles north of Midland) :
Sponsor Message: 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 996 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 2233 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
){kind=link}