The Latest on severe weather: Flooding concerns in Oklahoma
May 8, 2015, 8:42 PM
10:30 p.m.
Oklahoma officials are closing some roads because of high water amid heavy rains.
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety says part of Interstate 44 in Tulsa is closed due to high water after a storm system Friday night dumped more rain on the area. Part of U.S. 62 in Okfuskee County is also closed.
The flooding comes just days after storms produced more than 50 tornadoes in the Great Plains. More severe weather is in the forecast for Saturday.
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10 p.m.
Officials are telling residents in one Oklahoma neighborhood that a dam is close to being topped amid heavy rains.
The Shawnee News-Star reports that voluntary evacuations were underway Friday night in the Windmill Road neighborhood of Shawnee, which is about 40 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
Don Lynch, the Shawnee/Pottawatomie County emergency management director, tells the newspaper that the Granada Lake dam is one-tenth of an inch away from a breach. That could lead to flooding in Windmill Road.
The flooding threat comes just days after storms produced more than 50 tornadoes in the Great Plains. More severe weather is in the forecast for Saturday.
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9:15 p.m.
The Red Cross says it’s opened an evacuation site in the city of Shawnee, Oklahoma, because of heavy rains that have pushed a dam close to cresting.
Officials say a dam was close to cresting Friday night, threatening some homes.
Severe weather is blowing through parts of Texas and Oklahoma, with more storms forecast for Saturday. A few tornadoes have been spotted, but no damage has been reported.
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7:45 p.m.
Severe weather in Oklahoma has led to some street flooding in Oklahoma City and Norman.
Street flooding in Oklahoma City on Friday led officials to close Interstate 235 in the northern part of the city. The roadway is the main connector from Oklahoma City to the suburb of Edmond.
In Norman, the University of Oklahoma postponed commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday night after rainstorms flooded streets.
The flooding comes as severe weather blows through parts of Texas and Oklahoma. More storms are forecast for Saturday.
Oklahoma State University in Stillwater has rescheduled three Saturday commencement ceremonies for earlier in the day because of the threat of severe weather in the afternoon.
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7:30 p.m.
A tornado has touched down in Oklahoma, as severe weather makes its way through the southern Plains.
Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Jimmy Gallaher says a tornado touched down Friday night in Waurika. There were no reports of any damage.
Severe storms are blowing through parts of Texas and Oklahoma, bring strong winds and hail. Tornadoes have also been reported in rural parts of Texas.
More severe storms are in the forecast for Saturday.
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