Storms have buffeted the central Plains and Midwest all spring, inundating the ground and leaving rain with nowhere to go but into already bloated waterways. Officials also said they don't expect the river to recede in Tulsa until Wednesday at the earliest, pushing back their initial estimate by three days.
Bynum said the levees were built in the 1940s and haven't had to hold back this much water since 1986. If an evacuation becomes necessary, it would need to happen quickly, they said. The river was four feet above flood stage on Friday and was already causing flooding in parts of Oklahoma's second-largest city, including in south Tulsa where the murky brown water had inundated low-lying neighborhoods and crept right up to the River Spirit Hotel and Casino, which closed for the weekend.Ĭity officials said at a news conference Saturday that people living west of downtown should consider leaving for higher ground, even though the levees aren't currently considered to be in danger of failing.
Officials on Saturday warned some Tulsa residents to prepare to head to higher ground because old levees holding back the swollen Arkansas River are stressed and more rain is expected for the flood-weary region.
