Latest news with #CottonCountyEmergencyManagement
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cotton County braces for more floods after weekend storms
COTTON COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — Residents of Cotton County and emergency management professionals spent Monday preparing for another wave of floods after a massive downpour over the weekend. Cotton County Emergency Management Director Lori Hedges said her office is doing all they can to spread the word about roads that pose a threat to the public after the weekend's storms. 'My office and the Sheriff's Office are monitoring the creeks and low-lying areas,' Hedges said. 'County Commssioners have barricaded what roads are flooded at the moment, and we will continue to monitor the flood levels with the rain coming in.' Walters resident Michael Russell said he is no stanger to floods in his neighborhood. 'Back in 2015, we got flooded pretty bad,' Russell said. 'So this year, we are we come prepared. We've laid down close to 600 sandbags.' While the Russells prepared for a second round of floods, Walters Police Chief Tyler Smith urged people in the area to have a severe weather plan. '[The] main concern is safety and preparation,' Smith said. 'The best way is, to keep an eye on the weather and see what it's going to do. Get sandbags ready. Have a plan.' Smith added without a plan, residents could be caught in a life or death situation. OTHER NEWS: One dead after driving into floodwaters in Lawton '[We] had an individual traveling on one of our main roads to connect us with Lawton. It's up by a terrible flooded area,' Smith said. 'The road had been washed out from underneath him and pulled him into the ditch.' With more rain expected Monday night, The Russells said all they can do is wait and monitor water levels. 'We got lucky yesterday, but we still have two more days to go in the flood warning,' Russell said. 'We're just trying to beat the water.' For those in the Walters area who experience severe floods, the Walters Senior Citizens Center will be open and will take in any residents that need to seek refuge. There will be a sign outside with a phone number, which residents must call to be let in. The center is located at 111 E Colorado Ave. Current Weather ConditionsRadar School Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least one dead in Oklahoma flooding as millions in region face severe weather risks
At least one person has died in southwest Oklahoma after flash flooding hit the region, with authorities warning people to stay off the roads as severe weather warnings continue. 'Emergency responders reported witnessing a vehicle drive into standing water earlier today,' the Lawton Police Department said in a statement Saturday. 'Responders were not able to safely get to the submerged vehicle.' The investigation into the death is ongoing, officials said Saturday. The dive team assisted in recovery of the victim and the family has been notified, authorities said. The identity of the victim has not been released. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt thanked first responders on Saturday. 'Thank you to our wonderful first responders who've been executing water rescues all day due to flooding from heavy rain,' he wrote in a post on X. 'Oklahomans, be extra careful when driving and don't try to drive through flooded roads. Stay weather aware!' Lawton city officials said water began to recede in some areas on Sunday afternoon. Further south, in Walters, Oklahoma, Cotton County Emergency Management issued a public notice urging all residents to evacuate flood zone areas. Floodwaters are expected to rise through midafternoon Sunday, authorities said. Emergency management is working to secure more sand and sandbags for residents. Across the Southwest and the Rockies, extremely critical fire weather conditions continue Sunday afternoon due to 60 mph wind gusts, single-digit relative humidity and dry vegetation. Around 7 million people will be under alert throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. Additional severe weather risks span from Montana to Texas, with storms capable of producing winds up to 70 mph, large hail and potentially tornadoes overnight Sunday. On Monday, 36 million people from Texas to Michigan will be in the severe weather region, including the major cities of Minneapolis, Chicago and Oklahoma City. The strongest storms will arrive late afternoon and continue overnight, with the potential for intense tornadoes, very large hail and powerful wind gusts. Localized flash flooding may occur in the central region of the country. The risk will decrease by Tuesday as storms move north to New York, when 37 million people will be under a slight risk of severe weather in metropolitan areas including Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Cleveland. As the front travels east, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms may occur with strong wind gusts, hail and an isolated tornado. As the week continues, there will be a moderate risk in parts of the Upper Midwest. This article was originally published on
NBC News
27-04-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
At least one dead in Oklahoma flooding as millions in region face severe weather risks
At least one person has died in southwest Oklahoma after flash flooding hit the region, with authorities warning people to stay off the roads as severe weather warnings continue. 'Emergency responders reported witnessing a vehicle drive into standing water earlier today,' Lawton Police Department said in a statement on Saturday. 'Responders were not able to safely get to the submerged vehicle.' The investigation into the death is ongoing, officials said on Saturday. The dive team assisted in recovery of the victim and the family has been notified, authorities said. The identity of the victim has not been released. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt expressed his gratitude for the first responders who helped perform water rescues on Saturday, but urged Oklahomans to stay safe. "Thank you to our wonderful first responders who've been executing water rescues all day due to flooding from heavy rain," he wrote in a post on X Saturday. "Oklahomans, be extra careful when driving and don't try to drive through flooded roads. Stay weather aware!" Lawton city officials said water began to recede in some areas on Sunday afternoon. Further south in Walters, Oklahoma, Cotton County Emergency Management issued a public notice urging all residents to evacuate flood zone areas. Floodwaters are expected to rise through mid-afternoon Sunday, authorities said. Emergency management is working to secure more sand and sandbags for residents. Across the Southwest and Rockies, extremely critical fire weather conditions continue Sunday afternoon due to 60 mph wind gusts, single digit relative humidity and dry vegetation. Around 7 million people will be under alert throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. Additional severe weather risks span from Montana to Texas, with storms capable of producing winds up to 70 mph, large hail and potentially tornadoes overnight Sunday. On Monday, 36 million people from Texas to Michigan will be in the severe weather region, including major cities of Minneapolis, Chicago and Oklahoma City. The strongest storms will be late afternoon and continue overnight, with the potential for intense tornadoes, very large hail and powerful wind gusts. Localized flash flooding may occur in the central region of the country. The risk will decrease by Tuesday as it moves north to New York, when 37 million will be under a slight risk for severe weather in metropolitan areas like Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Cleveland. As the front travels east, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms may occur with strong wind gusts, hail and an isolated tornado.
