Take a look at this state map put out by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
It shows the counties that are under a state of emergency because of historic flooding. There are 77 counties in the state and every one of them is under the declaration.
The Department of Emergency Management says it’s because of “flooding, severe storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds that began in April.”
At least six people died in Oklahoma over the past few days as flooding, severe storms and tornadoes impacted the state. And Gov. Kevin Stitt said things could still get worse this week.
“We still have water still rising in the east,” he said Monday. “We are not out of the woods yet.”
In Tulsa, the weather service warned of severe weather threats ramping back up late Tuesday with storms, “very large hail” and tornado threats all in the cards. The flooding has closed Tulsa’s River Spirit Casino, where water has flooded the resort’s pool bar, swallowing the pool and even entering the tiki bar and resort spa building, the resort said.
The emergency declaration means state agencies can start making emergency purchases of items needed to speed the delivery of resources to local jurisdictions. It’s also the first step toward getting federal assistance if needed later.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum warned his city to “prepare for the worst case scenario that we’ve had” in the city’s history of flooding.
The Army Corps of Engineers is currently releasing 275,000 cubic feet per second from the Keystone Dam, according to Bynum, and will continue at this level through Thursday, when they hope to decrease those releases.
While the levees “continue to operate as they’re designed,” Bynum said, the expected rainfall could be problematic and record levels of release of water from the Keystone Dam could be seen.
Bynum said officials “are planning for and preparing for the flood of record, and we think everybody along the Arkansas River corridor ought to be doing the same.”