Associated Press - May 2, 2009 5:55 PM ET
PRYOR,
Okla. (AP) - Flooding in northeastern Oklahoma has abated somewhat
today, although forecasters say the state will continue to be stuck in
a wet pattern over the next few days.
At least 69 of Oklahoma's 77 counties remained under flood watches
or warnings. Two rounds of thunderstorms that passed through the
Oklahoma City metropolitan area produced gusty winds and some hail, but
no tornadoes.
The heavy rainfall remained in the central and southeastern parts of
the state, sparing the saturated counties of Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes
and Rogers in northeastern Oklahoma, where more than a half-foot of
rain fell yesterday.
Mayes County Emergency Management Director Johnny Janzen said that
the water had mostly receded, except for areas that commonly are
flood-prone, and that damage assessment and cleanup efforts already had
begun.
Janzen says Salina and Locust Grove lost water service after their
pumping stations flooded. Until that's fixed, the Cherokee Nation was
trucking water into the towns.
Janzen says many area roads and bridges were damaged by the flooding
but officials don't have a count of how many homes were affected.
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