Flash Flood — Cleveland, Oklahoma

2025-04-19 · near Moore, Cleveland, Oklahoma

Event narrative

Significant roadway flooding occurred near the intersection of Southeast 12th Street and Eastern Avenue due to water rise from a nearby small creek. Two vehicles were swept off the road and pinned beneath the Eastern Avenue bridge. Two fatalities were reported as a result of this incident. Event time is approximate.

Wider weather episode

A severe weather and flash flood episode occurred across central and southern portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area from the evening of the 19th into the early morning hours of the 20th. A slow-moving upper system continued to approach the area on the 19th. This, along with strong/moist low-level ascent atop a quasi-stationary boundary, helped initiate widespread thunderstorms across the region mentioned above. Strong wind shear and instability, especially along and ahead of the surface boundary, promoted organized thunderstorms, producing hail, wind and tornadoes. A few strong tornadoes also occurred (near Courtney in Love County and Little City in Marshall County). This episode also observed the first fatal weak (F/EF0-1) tornado since 1988 across the WFO Norman Forecast Area. Flash flooding also became a concern by the late evening of the 19th, with two flood-related fatalities occurring in the city of Moore, as multiple vehicles were swept off of Eastern Avenue into a nearby creek.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.3284, -97.4771)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1254715. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.