Oklahoma City Prepared for Flooding

KSBI News

Threats of flooding were prevalent all day, and continue into tomorrow for the metro area.  The City of Oklahoma City is on high alert if the rain becomes too much for the drainage to handle.

Kristy Yager, Spokesperson for the City of OKC said, "Well our drainage system can handle 100 year floods.  It's ready for that, but anything over that it really challenges our system.  When we get flash flooding, the water can really gather in the streets quickly and it doesn't have anywhere to go."

Rains been collecting all day, and with 2 major flood events already in the books the city isn't taking any chances.

"We're ready with barriers as soon as it starts getting dangerous or right before it gets dangerous we'll make sure to put them out," Yager explained.

Police, fire, and public works crews are monitoring the situation and will respond if the condition worsens.  The city says even small streams, culverts, and dry streambeds are at risk for flooding.

"So we want them to stay out of the deep water, don't drive in water if they can't see the road, and just be very very careful when they're traveling," Yager added.

Emergency crews are also preparing for another round of water rescues, but hope residents use extreme caution to avoid the situations.

"It's dangerous for the residents," Yager concluded.

Officials say it only takes 2 feet of flowing water to sweep a vehicle away.  According to FEMA, floods are the most common and costly natural disasters in the country.

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