An Oklahoma man tragically lost his life on Wednesday due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall affecting parts of Oklahoma and Texas, where approximately 16 million residents were under high water alerts. The incident occurred in Pottawatomie County around 12:30 p.m. when the man’s vehicle was swept off the road. Efforts to rescue him included a sheriff’s deputy, who also became trapped but was later saved by firefighters. Despite these attempts, the man could not be reached in time and was pronounced dead at the scene, prompting condolences from the sheriff’s office.
The flooding resulted from a stalled frontal boundary that unleashed significant rainfall in central Oklahoma and the Dallas area, leading to flooded roadways and other regions. Just a day prior, severe weather had caused fatalities in Pennsylvania, including one individual who was electrocuted while attempting to extinguish a fire.
On Wednesday alone, around 2 inches of rain fell in Wichita Falls, Texas, and nearly 3 inches in Lawton, Oklahoma, breaking daily records. Radar estimates indicated areas in Oklahoma received up to 8 inches over a 72-hour period. A wide area encompassing Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri was under flood warnings, with tornado watches in parts of eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, and most of Arkansas.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol utilized an airboat in Skiatook to monitor rising waters and prepare for potential rescues. As of late Wednesday, the heaviest rainfall had moved out of southeastern Oklahoma, yet flooding risks persist, with forecasts predicting lingering impacts into the following days, including thunderstorms shifting toward the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
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