A slow-moving storm brought deadly flooding to Oklahoma on Wednesday, shutting down roadways and sweeping away cars.
Parts of Oklahoma and Texas were expected to see more rain on Thursday that could cause more flash flooding, the National Weather Service warned, after several inches of rain fell in both states.
One man was killed in Pottawatomie County in Oklahoma, the sheriff’s office said, after it received a report of a vehicle that had been swept off the road. A deputy sheriff tried to rescue the man, according to the sheriff’s office, but “was caught in a powerful current and became trapped in a life-threatening situation.” The deputy was transported to the hospital, and the man died at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
A second person died in neighboring Lincoln County when their vehicle was caught in floodwaters, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman, Sarah Stewart, told The Associated Press.
Parts of central and southern Oklahoma received up to eight inches of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, with up to six inches falling in parts of Texas. The National Weather Service said areas in southwestern Oklahoma and across the Red River into Arkansas were expected to receive more than an inch of rain, and some spots just north of the river could get over two inches on Thursday.
Rainfall could come down at a rate of one to two inches per hour, which would easily overwhelm the already soaked ground. The heaviest rain was expected on Thursday evening and overnight, according to forecasters.
Flooding forced road closures in at least 32 counties in Oklahoma on Wednesday, the state’s department of emergency management said Wednesday evening.
“Though the water has receded on some of the roadways, the condition of the infrastructure of the roads due to wash outs will need to be inspected for your safety,” Lincoln County’s emergency management department said.
Oklahoma’s Highway Patrol warned drivers to avoid floodwater: “Be careful driving if you have to get out. Reduce your speed. And always remember — don’t drive into standing water.”
More thunderstorms could bring large hail and more flash flooding to Oklahoma and North Texas throughout the day and night on Thursday, according to forecasters.
Storms were expected to continue into Friday, with the risk of flooding spreading farther south and east, especially across central and northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, central and southern Arkansas and northwest Louisiana, forecasters said.
The Weather Prediction Center warned that the region along Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio would be especially vulnerable because its terrain and soil does not absorb water well. The interstate was shut down briefly near Oklahoma City on Wednesday because of flooding, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
The storms follow severe weather this week in Pennsylvania, where about 240,000 people were still without power on Thursday morning, according to Poweroutage.us. Those storms claimed four lives.
The severe weather in Oklahoma and Texas was expected to clear on Friday, but the respite may be brief. Another storm system will approach from the west next week.
“Texas and Oklahoma have to get ready for more rounds of heavy rainfall,” said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. “They’re going to be expecting more rain as we head into the next week again.”
