Flash Flood — Mayes, Oklahoma

1999-06-20 · near Countywide, Mayes, Oklahoma

Event narrative

Radar estimates of 4 to 8 inches of rain in Mayes County centered near Adair caused major flash flooding. The county emergency manager said in media reports that it was the worst flooding he had seen in his 30 years in that position.Flooding forced the closing of US Hwy 69 2 miles north of Adair and OK Hwy 28 near Adair. Between 630 and 700 AM CDT, a 53-year old man drowned when his car was washed away by eight-foot deep floodwaters flowing over OK Hwy 28 west of Adair. Those floodwaters were associated with heavy flows in a branch of Pryor Creek. Numerous county roads were flooded throughout Mayes County. Pryor Creek jumped its banks near Pryor, displacing ten people from their homes. Two trailers and one home received major damage from Pryor Creek flooding.

Wider weather episode

Summary of flash flooding on June 20 1999:A cluster of thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours of June 20 on the nose of a nocturnal low-level jet. These storms moved very little, and with deep-layer moisture in place to support heavy rainfall rates, these thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall. Mayes County was hardest hit, with radar estimating four to seven inches of rain over a large part of the county. One man was killed when his car was washed away by floodwaters flowing over a major highway.The following are some of the heavier rain gage reports for this event: Big Cabin_5NE...7.14", Spavinaw Dam...4.60", Wann...3.74", Claremore_2NE...3.13", Claremore_5W...2.93", Tahlequah_4N...2.81", and Pryor_5NE...2.58", and Centralia_7E...2.25".

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5700972. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.