WATCH: Latest Tulsa area emergency management update

City of Tulsa Saturday morning flooding update

TULSA — The City of Tulsa is set gave an update Saturday morning on flooding conditions in the metro area after some overnight rain.

A news conference was held at 10:30 a.m. It can be viewed in the video player above.

TAEMA Emergency Operations Update –

10:30 a.m.

Due to significant rain in the Tulsa area last night, the Army Corps of Engineers must extend the duration of the 250,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) release by Wednesday morning rather than Sunday afternoon as originally planned.

Currently, the levees are working as they should, but have experienced the 250,000 cfs release rate for an extended amount of time and officials will be watching the levee system closely due to the extension of the release rate.

If the levee system is compromised, evacuation and contingency plans must be in place for residents that live near Levee A, south of the Keystone Expressway/Hwy412, east of River City Park Rd. and west of 65th W. Ave. For residents that live near Levee B, between 65th W. Ave. to Newblock Park and south of Keystone Expressway/Hwy412. Residents should begin to prepare for a possible voluntary evacuation and remain vigilant to this evolving situation.

It is highly recommended that all people who live near Levees A and B pay attention to local officials and news coverage, listen to weather radios, be observant of local weather apps, and seek higher ground if necessary as a levee comprise would inundate the areas quickly.

The levee maps can be found at: www.cityoftulsa.org/rivermaps

Tulsa Police are patrolling neighborhoods that have already been evacuated in the Tulsa city limits to keep the homes secure and thwart looters.

Current street and park closures in Tulsa County are as follows:

• S. Riverside Dr. from Southwest Blvd. to S. Houston

• W. 36th St. from S. Elwood to S. Galveston

• W. 37th St. from S. Elwood to S. Galveston

• S. 61st W. Ave. and W. 11th St.

• W. 41st St. and S. Elwood Intersection

• Aquarium Dr. below, 96th St. Bridge (traffic bridge is open)

• Segment of Oklahoma State Highway 51 at 137th W. Ave. east towards Hwy 97

• River Parks along Riverside Dr. is closed and no electricity is available along River Parks.

• Mohawk Park and Redbud Valley (places)

• Parking areas along Riverside Dr. have been barricaded

Current sand bag locations in the Tulsa metro are:

Tulsa – Oral Roberts University Mabee Center parking lot, 7777 S. Lewis Ave., open 24/7

Jenks – Jenks Softball Field, 1701 N. Birch St.

For the Jenks location, bags are available to fill, but the public is responsible to bring their own shovel(s). The weekend hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shelters and Donations

Two evacuation shelters are in place - the first is at Crosstown Church of Christ, 3400 E. Admiral Place and there is an additional shelter at Faith Church, 1901 West 171st St. in Glenpool. ADA service animals can be taken to the Crosstown shelter location. All other pets can go to the temporary shelter at Tulsa Expo Square Fairground Pavilion (south entrance) from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The temporary pet shelter at the Fairground is accepting pet food, blankets and towels. For large animal shelter requests, please contact 211.

Residents in Tulsa County with questions or concerns related to this flooding event or evacuations can call 211, 211 is also equipped to take damage assessments and answer questions about donations to those affected by the floods.

Education and Safety

• If you leave your home, take all electric precautions by switching off the main breaker to electricity and disconnect any emergency power system, like generators.

• Have a packed bag with prescriptions and clothing for a multiple-day period

• Charge your cell phones and place them in low-power mode, put valuables in a higher place, bring your pets with you

• Leave your home with important identification for you and any members of your family and take videos/pictures of your home for insurance purposes

• If you are an evacuee or someone you know is evacuated and requires home health care and/or in-home hospice care, you need to let your health care agency know where you are sheltering so you can continue to receive services.

• It is important to have a two-week supply of prescription medication on hand and ready if/when you evacuated. In addition, have copies of all prescription medication with dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy. This includes mental health medications. Communicate this message with those in your life who may need assistance with this.

• Communicate with members of your family who need to take these precautions but have physical limitations that may prevent them from doing so.

• For safety’s sake, assume that any downed utility line is energized with deadly electric current. Stay away from the line and do not touch it with anything. Report it to PSO at 1-888-218-3919.

Stay Updated on the Flooding Event

Follow the City of Tulsa on Twitter @cityoftulsagov and visit www.cityoftulsa.org [gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com] for updates. Live feeds from news conferences are available on the City of Tulsa Gov Facebook.

The City of Tulsa website has a Google translator that can translate all web pages in more than 121 languages. The City of Tulsa is also adding translations of this briefing in various languages to the City’s Facebook page when available.

All maps for the flooding event can be found at: www.cityoftulsa.org/rivermaps

8 p.m. Thursday

(TULSA, OK) – The Emergency Operations Center continues to work 24-hours during the Tulsa area flooding event.

The Army Corps of Engineers continues to release 250,000 cubic feet of water per second from Keystone Dam into the Arkansas River and this level is expected to hold steady through Sunday, May 26. It is highly recommended that all people who live near the Arkansas River continue to pay attention to local officials and news coverage, listen to weather radios, be observant of local weather apps. All residents should stay out of the water, adhere to traffic diversions, and maintain a close watch on children.

With more rain anticipated to move through the Tulsa area, residents should remain vigilant and avoid water in the roadways as the ground is saturated with water and creeks are full. Use caution when approaching barricades and do not drive around them. The barricades are used to close areas of the road that present hazards from water overtopping the surface. Cars may be swept away in just two inches of water. Turn around. Don’t Drown.

Updated Road and Location Closures

• S. Riverside Dr. from Southwest Blvd. to S. Houston

• W. 36th St. from S. Elwood to S. Galveston

• W. 37th St. from S. Elwood to S. Galveston

• S. 61st W. Ave. and W. 11th St.

• W. 41st St. and S. Elwood Intersection

• Aquarium Place, 96th St. Bridge

• Segment of Oklahoma State Highway 51 at 137th W. Ave. east towards Hwy 97

• River Parks along Riverside Dr. is closed and no electricity is available along River Parks.

• Mohawk Park and Redbud Valley (locations)

• Parking areas along Riverside Dr. have been barricaded

City of Tulsa employees have been working around the clock by filling 500-700 sand bags per hour for the Mabee Center public location. We ask residents in need of sand bags to please be patient as employees are working to keep up with demand.

Current sand bag locations in the Tulsa metro are:

Tulsa – Oral Roberts University Mabee Center parking lot, 7777 S. Lewis Ave., open 24/7

Jenks – Jenks Softball Field, 1701 N. Birch St.

For the Jenks location, bags are available to fill, but the public is responsible to bring their own shovel(s). This service is open Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The weekend hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shelters and Donations

Two evacuation shelters are in place - the first is at Crosstown Church of Christ, 3400 E. Admiral Place and there is an additional shelter at Faith Church, 1901 West 171st St. in Glenpool. ADA service animals can be taken to the Crosstown shelter location. All other pets can go to the temporary shelter at Tulsa Expo Square Fairground Pavilion (south entrance) from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The temporary pet shelter at the Fairground is accepting pet food, blankets and towels. For large animal shelter requests, please contact 211.

This morning, Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) employees, volunteers, the Humane Society of Tulsa and Tulsa SPCA worked together to load 100 animals from the TAW shelter to move them to Idaho for adoption. The transfer of these animals makes room at the shelter to take in another 100 stray animals that are displaced as a result of flooding in the Tulsa area over the next few days. TAW staff will work to re-unite the animals with owners or find new homes for them. The transportation is the result of a donation.

Residents in Tulsa County with questions or concerns related to this flooding event or evacuations can call 211, 211 is also equipped to take damage assessments and answer questions about donations to those affected by the floods.

Education and Safety

• Prepare immediately for evacuations.