Cottonwood Flat opened back up Friday morning and business owners trudged back in to check out the damage.
The skies began clearing and roads began opening back up. The hard part has just begun as well: the cleanup. Hay bales, uprooted trees, destroyed structures and misplaced fish were just some of the sights to be seen around Guthrie.
"This community is so resilient," says Guthrie Mayor Chuck Burtcher. "We know this is going to happen. The people just bounce back"
Business owners have already opened back up, and they're taking all of it in stride.
"If we're not open, we don't make any money," says Westside Tavern owner Veulah Nelson.
"[The flood waters] tore the toilet off the floor, so we're dealing with plumbing problems, too," says The Garage office manager Melonie Smith.
Smith says they've had to move out five times last summer because of the rain, but that's not stopping them from opening back up.
"As of right now, no plans to move, so it's just ... business is really good in this area when it's not raining," says Smith.
Officials say a lot has actually been done to mitigate the flooding issue. Back in the eighties Cottonwood Flat was filled with residential homes, so they say it could have been a lot worse.
"Our biggest issue is access from the East side of Guthrie to the West side of Guthrie, and that if we can resolve that, I think you would see much less impact on the community with these flood events," says Guthrie City Manager Melody Kellogg.
Until that gets solved, it's either get out of the way or get used to the rain.
"Two weeks from now, you won't hardly know it's happened," says Burtcher.
"We pray for sunny days a lot," says Smith.
Officials say the four floods last year were all minor, but this one was pretty significant. They say it was reminiscent of the 1995 and 1993 floods. They say you just never know what's going to come out of Cottonwood Creek, so all you can do is prepare.
Kellogg says the state does have a plan to have an overpass for Cottonwood Flat but not until 2012. Emergency management officials will meet on Monday to begin calculating the damages and start the process of getting funds.
