The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
Sand Bag Update – 2 p.m.
(TULSA, OK) – The Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency and other municipalities are aware of the demand for public sand bags.
City of Tulsa employees have been working around the clock by filling 500-700 sand bags per hour for the Mabee Center public location. We ask residents in need of sand bags to please be patient as employees are working to keep up with demand.
The sand bags being provided at the two locations below are at NO COST to residents across the metro. It’s being reported that some citizens are taking the free sand bags and attempting to resell them. If you see this happening, contact your local authority. The sand bags are free to residents who need them.
Current sand bag locations in the Tulsa metro are:
Tulsa – Oral Roberts University Mabee Center parking lot, 7777 S. Lewis Ave.
Jenks – Jenks Softball Field, 1701 N. Birch St.
For the Jenks location, bags are available to fill, but the public is responsible to bring their own shovel(s). This service is open today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The weekend hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
FLOODING: Highway Conditions 5-24-19 as of 5 a.m. EDITOR’S NOTE : With historic rainfall since winter 2018 through the spring, many roads are closed, including some construction projects due to rivers and creeks rising too high for some work to continue. As water levels subside, ODOT and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority will assess existing pavement conditions for needed repairs and also construction timetables for further changes and updates. The department is not able to predict closures and conditions continue to change rapidly statewide. The agency will keep highways open for as long as it is safe to do so.
Be alert to any water over driving lanes and don’t drive around barricades. Drivers are encouraged to be prepared and partner with these agencies as they address these needs and possible delays. ODOT wants drivers to be prepared for more inconvenience and travel impacts this summer for repairs after this spring’s flooding.
The following highways are closed until further notice due to flooding:
BECKHAM CO.
• The I-40 southern service road (old Route 66) at MM19 is closed for extended repairs due to road damage.
CHEROKEE CO.
• SH-80 is closed four miles west of Hulbert near Fort Gibson Lake.
• SH-80 is closed near the Canyon Rd. access area just north of Fort Gibson.
COTTON CO .
• SH-5B is closed between SH-5A and US-70.
DELAWARE CO .
• SH-127 is closed near Jay just west of US-59 due to a damaged drainage structure.
JOHNSTON CO.
• SH-48A is closed to through traffic between the SH-48 junction in Coleman and SH-7 in Milburn due to a damaged construction detour.
KAY CO.
• US-77 is closed between SH-156 and southern Tonkawa.
LOGAN CO.
• SH-74F is closed between Cashion and SH-33 due to pavement damage.
LOVE CO.
• SH-77-Scenic is closed at Lake Murray Spillway.
MAYES CO.
• SH-82 is closed at Grand River south of Langley.
MUSKOGEE CO.
• All lanes of I-40 and SH-100 are now OPEN over the Arkansas River near the Muskogee/Sequoyah County line. Drivers are urged to be alert to crews monitoring the river area into the overnight, and to use caution as traffic adjusts in these corridors. Travel is still discouraged in this area as flooding conditions continue to rapidly change.
• SH-10 is closed two miles east of the US-62 junction near Fort Gibson.
• US-62 is closed between SH-80 near Fort Gibson and SH-165 in Muskogee.
• SH-104 is closed at Coal Creek near Haskell.
NOBLE CO.
• SH-15 is closed between US-77 and Red Rock.
• SH-156 is closed between Marland and US-60/US-177 in Kay County.
NOWATA CO.
• SH-10 is closed east of US-169 near Lenapah due to damage to a drain.
• SH-28 is closed between US-60 and US-169.
OTTAWA CO.
• SH-125 is closed one mile south of SH-10 in Miami.
• US-59/SH-10 is closed one mile west of US-69.
• SH-10 is closed between US-69 to one mile east of the SH-69A junction in Miami.
• SH-69A is closed 1.5 miles north of SH-10 near Miami.
• US-69 is closed between SH-125 and US-59/SH-10.
TULSA CO.
• SH-11 is closed from 76 th St. North to 156 th St. North.
• SH-20 is closed from US-75 to west of Skiatook.
• SH-51 is closed just west of SH-97 near Sand Springs
WAGONER CO.
• SH-16 is closed near the Muskogee Turnpike just north of Muskogee.
• SH-16 is closed northwest of Okay.
• SH-72 is closed from East 201 st south to just north of the Arkansas River bridge.
WASHINGTON CO.
• SH-123 is closed between Bartlesville and Dewey.
Updated: 10 am 5/24/2019
(TULSA, OK) – The Army Corps of Engineers continues to release 250,000 cubic feet of water per second from Keystone Dam into the Arkansas River and this level is expected to hold steady through Sunday, May 26.
As of this morning, close to 1,100 Tulsa residents have been impacted from the flooding event due to evacuations based on rising flooding levels. In Sand Springs, close to 400 are impacted, Tulsa County – 320 and in Jenks – 15. In neighborhoods west of the Arkansas River, self-evacuations and two neighborhoods were evacuated. PSO is working with affected areas on any disconnections.
City of Tulsa worked overnight to make sandbags available for residents on a first come first served basis at the ORU Mabee Center parking lot on the northeast corner of 81 st and Lewis.
It is highly recommended that all people who live near the Arkansas River pay attention to local officials and news coverage, listen to weather radios, be observant of local weather apps, and seek higher ground if necessary.
All residents should stay out of the water, adhere to traffic diversions, and maintain a close watch on children. The Tulsa Police Department has already had to remove people from the areas along the Arkansas River, especially near Tulsa River Parks and the River Parks Trail.
Road and Location Closures
There are several road closures throughout the Tulsa metro:
• 1100 S. 61st W. Ave closed
• 37 W. Guthrie Ave closed
• S Indian Rd. closed
• 4200 S. Riverside open
• 3900 S. Riverside open
• 1300 S Riverside closed
• 1200 S. 49th W. Ave. open
• 3700-4100 S. Elwood closed
• 3300-5100 S. Elwood closed
• 8800 N. Mohawk Blvd. closed
• Aquarium Place, 196 th St. Bridge
• River Parks along Riverside Dr. is closed and no electricity is available along River Parks.
• Segment of Oklahoma State Highway 51 at 137 th W. Ave. east towards Hwy 97
Use caution when approaching barricades and do not drive around them. The barricades are used to close areas of the road that present hazards from water overtopping the surface. Cars may be swept away in just two inches of water. Turn around. Don’t Drown.
Shelters and Donations
Two evacuation shelters are in place – the first is at Crosstown Church of Christ, 3400 E. Admiral Place and there is an additional shelter at Faith Church, 1901 West 171 st St. in Glenpool. ADA service animals can be taken to the Crosstown shelter location. All other pets can go to the temporary shelter at Tulsa Expo Square Fairground Pavilion (south entrance) from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The temporary pet shelter at the Fairground is accepting pet food, blankets and towels.
This morning, Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) employees, volunteers, the Humane Society of Tulsa and Tulsa SPCA worked together to load 100 animals from the TAW shelter to move them to Idaho for adoption. The transfer of these animals makes room at the shelter to take in another 100 stray animals that are displaced as a result of flooding in the Tulsa area over the next few days. TAW staff will work to re-unite the animals with owners or find new homes for them. The transportation is the result of a donation.
Residents in Tulsa County with questions or concerns related to this flooding event or evacuations can call 211, 211 is also equipped to take damage assessments and answer questions about donations to those affected by the floods.
Education and Safety
· Prepare immediately for evacuations.
· If you leave your home, take all electric precautions by switching off the main breaker to electricity and disconnect any emergency power system, like generators.
· Have a packed bag with prescriptions and clothing for a multiple-day period
· Charge your cell phones and place them in low-power mode, put valuables in a higher place, bring your pets with you
· Leave your home with important identification for you and any members of your family and take videos/pictures of your home for insurance purposes
· If you are an evacuee or someone you know is evacuated and requires home health care and/or in-home hospice care, you need to let your health care agency know where you are sheltering so you can continue to receive services.
· It is important to have a two-week supply of prescription medication on hand and ready if/when you evacuated. In addition, have copies of all prescription medication with dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy. This includes mental health medications. Communicate this message with those in your life who may need assistance with this.
· Communicate with members of your family who need to take these precautions but have physical limitations that may prevent them from doing so.
· For safety’s sake, assume that any downed utility line is energized with deadly electric current. Stay away from the line and do not touch it with anything. Report it to PSO at 1-888-218-3919.
Stay Updated on the Flooding Event
Follow the City of Tulsa on Twitter @cityoftulsagov and visit www.cityoftulsa.org for updates. Live feeds from news conferences are available on the City of Tulsa Gov Facebook.
The City of Tulsa website has a Google translator that can translate all web pages in more than 121 languages. The City of Tulsa is also adding translations of this briefing in various languages to the City’s Facebook page when available.
All maps for the flooding event can be found at: www.cityoftulsa.org/rivermaps
May 23, 2019 – This morning, The Army Corps of Engineers announced it would be releasing 215,000 cubic feet per second at 10 a.m. and releasing 250,000 cubic feet per second beginning at noon with the expectation of leaving it at this rate for four days.
The updated maps for the 250,000 release level and for planning purposes of 305,000 cubic feet per seconds can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/rivermaps
For planning purposes, the City of Tulsa has already been planning for historic flooding levels that Tulsa experienced in 1986, when Keystone Dam release levels reached over 300,000 cubic feet per second.
Due to the additional release at Keystone Dam, flood water is expected to steadily rise and residents and businesses along the Arkansas River need to remain vigilant and take precautions. Based on the release rates at noon, Sand Springs and the western part of Tulsa County is expected to see the first impact in approximately two hours and central Tulsa approximately four to six hours and south Tulsa County in approximately eight to 10 hours.
It is recommended residents living in affected neighborhoods along the Arkansas River and in a 100-year floodplain should:
- Prepare immediately for evacuations.
- If you leave your home, take all electric precautions by switching off the main breaker to electricity and disconnect any emergency power system, like generators.
- Have a packed bag with prescriptions and clothing for a multiple-day period
- Charge your cell phones and place them in low-power mode, put valuables in a higher place, bring your pets with you
- Leave your home with important identification for you and any members of your family and take videos/pictures of your home for insurance purposes
- If you are an evacuee or someone you know is evacuated and requires home health care and/or in-home hospice care, you need to let your health care agency know where you are sheltering so you can continue to receive services.
- It is important to have a two-week supply of prescription medication on hand and ready if/when you evacuated. In addition, have copies of all prescription medication with dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy. This includes mental health medications. Communicate this message with those in your life who may need assistance with this.
- Communicate with members of your family who need to take these precautions but have physical limitations that may prevent them from doing so.
- For safety’s sake, assume that any downed utility line is energized with deadly electric current. Stay away from the line and do not touch it with anything. Report it to PSO at 1-888-218-3919.
- Please do not approach crews and utility vehicles you see in your neighborhood to ask when power will be restored. Doing so could jeopardize your safety. Outward vision from the large utility vehicles can be limited. A crew may not see someone who has walked up to their work truck.
Once evacuated, residents might not be able to get back to evacuated areas for a week or longer.
All residents in Tulsa County with questions or concerns related to this flooding event or evacuations can call 211, 24/7. 211 will also be equipped to take damage assessments and answer questions about donations to those affected by these floods.
As of 10:30 a.m. Thursday, there is an evacuation shelter at Crosstown Church of Christ, 3400 E. Admiral Place and Tulsa Animal Welfare advises those with ADA service animals can take them to this location. All other pets can go to the temporary shelter at Tulsa Expo Square Fairground Pavilion (south entrance) from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The temporary pet shelter at the Fairground is accepting pet food, blankets and towels.
The Red Cross is currently working on setting up additional shelters in other areas of Tulsa County that will be impacted by flooding. As soon as those shelters are operational, a media advisory will be issued.
At 3 p.m. today, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA) will begin sounding the flood alarm. The alarm will sound every 30 minutes for six hours. For those who hear the alarm, (https://www.cityoftulsa.org/residents/public-safety/emergency-sirens/) it is an indication they need to be aware of the flooding conditions and take appropriate precautions.
Residents should go indoors and tune to local media to seek more information. It is highly recommended that all people who live near the Arkansas River pay attention to local news coverage, listen to weather radios, be observant of local weather apps, and seek higher ground if necessary. Please stay out of the water and relocate to a safe location.
Follow the City of Tulsa on Twitter @cityoftulsagov and visit www.cityoftulsa.org for updates.
