An Oklahoma man tragically lost his life after being swept away by flooding during heavy rain on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Pottawatomie County, where the man’s vehicle was carried off a roadway around 12:30 p.m. During the rescue attempt, a sheriff’s deputy also became trapped in the waters but was ultimately saved by firefighters. The sheriff’s office expressed condolences for the lost life, acknowledging the challenges of reaching the man in time.
This flooding incident coincided with severe weather affecting approximately 16 million people across Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri, as a stalled frontal boundary caused heavy rainfall. Central Oklahoma and the Dallas area saw significant flooding, contributing to a deadly weather pattern that had already claimed four lives in Pennsylvania due to severe storms.
Rainfall amounts reached about two inches in Wichita Falls, Texas, and nearly 2.8 inches in Lawton, Oklahoma. On Wednesday, roadways were inundated, prompting flood watches and warnings across multiple states. Tornado watches also extended to regions housing nearly five million individuals from eastern Texas to much of Arkansas.
In Skiatook, just north of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol deployed an airboat to navigate city streets affected by rising floodwaters, remaining prepared for any rescue operations. While the heaviest rain had moved out of southeastern Oklahoma by late Wednesday afternoon, concerns remained regarding ongoing river flooding into Thursday.
In the Dallas area, flood warnings persisted until Thursday morning for Rowlett Creek, with moderate flooding anticipated. The National Weather Service indicated that while rainfall was expected to dissipate Thursday, the threat of thunderstorms would shift to the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys.
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