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Oklahoma City has experienced flooding in several areas of the City in the past. In 1970, 265 homes and 114 apartment units were flooded along Lightning Creek due to heavy rainfall. Four people were killed in automobiles that were swept into creeks by floodwaters. Damage to private property was estimated to be in excess of $2,000,000. Other significant flooding events occurred in Oklahoma City in 1974, 1981, 1983, 1987, and 1989. |
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On May 8, 1993, many areas in Oklahoma City experienced severe flooding caused by heavy rains. The ground was already saturated by several previous days of rain when the City received another 4.85 inches of rain in less than three hours. Approximately 1900 homes and other structures were flooded with the most severe damage occurring in south and southwest Oklahoma City along Lightning, Twin and Brock Creeks. Damage to City infrastructure was in excess of $3,000,000 and private property damage was estimated to be near $40,000,000. |
On July 23, 1995, a thunderstorm with sustained winds of 74 mph and wind gusts over 94 mph caused widespread damage to the Oklahoma City area. Power poles and trees were blown down throughout the City causing power outages to approximately 75,000 homes. Hundreds of commercial buildings and residential properties suffered damage to roofs and other parts of their structures from the high winds. Will Rogers World Airport and Wiley Post Airport suffered over $1,200,000 in damage. The Oklahoma City Fairgrounds received over $850,000 in damage to buildings and had over 200 trees twisted or uprooted. Estimates of damage to private property were in excess of $6,500,000 with cleanup costs estimated at another $2,000,000.
| On May 3, 1999, an F-5 tornado with wind speeds reaching 314 mph cut a path of destruction through the southern and eastern portions of the Oklahoma City metro area. The damage path through the area was over 14 miles long and at times as much as ½ mile wide. There were 38 fatalities in the area and over 500 people treated for injuries at local hospitals. The tornado destroyed approximately 1811 homes in the metro area and heavily damaged another 821 homes. In Oklahoma City, there were 640 homes destroyed and 361 heavily damaged. Another 1177 homes suffered minor damage. Commercial properties in the City were affected as well, with 18 buildings destroyed and 31 damaged. In addition, 152 apartment units were destroyed and another 641 damaged. The total damage was estimated by the insurance industry to be in excess of one billion dollars. |
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In each of these last three events, the President declared a disaster, which aided the City in the cleanup and rebuilding effort. However, these disasters cost the City thousands of dollars in lost property and sales taxes and contributed to many small business closures and layoffs by damaged businesses.
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