Sunday, May 24, 2015

1 FIREFIGHTER KILLED, HOMES AND BUSINESSES FLOOD AS STORMS WREAK HAVOC IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA










MAY 24, 2015

An Oklahoma firefighter was killed attempting a water rescue and about 350 homes were underwater in a small Texas town as a large part of the central and southern Plains states remained under a flash flood watch today following a day of powerful storms. 

In Claremore, Oklahoma, about 30 miles northeast of Tulsa, a firefighter was killed when he was swept away while attempting a water rescue, said the Rogers County Sheriff's Office. The storms also forced the evacuation of the Rocklahoma music festival in Pryor, about 50 miles west of Tulsa. 

Three to six inches of rain fell in the Oklahoma City metro area, which has had the rainiest 40 days and 40 nights in that city’s history as 20.46 inches have fallen. 

— Nathanael Callon (@claw484) May 23, 2015

The National Weather Service said major flooding continued along the Blanco River near Wimberley, Texas, about 40 miles southwest of Austin and 63 miles northeast of San Antonio. Rescues were ongoing in the area, where more than 9 inches of rain was reported as the Blanco River rose 35 feet within a few hours Saturday. 

@KVUE @AndrewRudansky also blanco River by San Marcos and I-35 pic.twitter.com/pBFM34Yo3x
— Michael Stephens (@impickinuoff) May 24, 2015

More rain was expected today for areas east of Interstate 35 in the Southern Plains with the rainfall lasting into Memorial Day. There was also the possibility of some brief tornadoes, with the threat area from Springfield, Missouri, to Shreveport, Louisiana.