Flood Risks: Kansas, Oklahoma & Texas

Here is a storm forecast summary map from the NWS as of 3:41pm. The yellow areas are tornado watches, amber = severe thunderstorm warnings and red = tornado warnings. Magenta in Oklahoma is a flash flood warning.

The main reason I am displaying that is to show the green areas which are flood warnings and watches. Storms will continue to intensify in many areas the next few hours. Keep in mind soils are saturated and any heavy rains will drive rivers and streams up all over again.

Remember: Never drive into a flooded area or try to cross it by foot. The photos of the last few days should convince you of the wisdom of that safety rule.

Keep in mind this statistic: 55% of flash flood fatalities are caused by people voluntarily trying to cross flooded areas by foot and by car. 

The other rule is that if you live near a low area or a stream/river, be prepared to move to higher ground at the first sign of rising water. This means having gas in your car, some cash, and (if you have an electric garage door opener) a way to insure you can get the car out in an emergency.

In looking at some of the homes in Texas where fatalities occurred, they would have survived had they simply gotten into their cars and driven to and stayed at the top of their driveways.