On This Day in 1943: Record Rainfall in Oklahoma Begins

It's no secret that spring comes with its fair share of storminess, but nothing could’ve prepared Oklahoma for the deluge on their horizon more than 70 years ago. 

May of 1943 set a new level of rainfall records untapped for Oklahoma at the time. In fact, the heaviest rainfall started on May 7 and carried over until May 11, 1943. A big factor of the flooding that ensued during that month was that neighboring streams were already on the high side in terms of water levels. This was only exacerbated by the 5+ inches that fell over much of the state during those days, with the eastern counties hit the worst.

McAlester, Okla., recorded nearly 13 inches of rainfall during this first wave of storms with the second wave rushing in between May 16 to May 20. The second wave of showers was similar to the first; more regions recorded more than 5 inches of rainfall with one city in the eastern quadrant reporting over 13 inches. Eastern Oklahoma was battered by the storms so badly that a total of 26 people lost their lives due to flooding from both events.

This insurmountable flooding resulted in nearly $900,000 in damages, with both the North Canadian and Canadian Rivers receiving the brunt of the damage. Livestock and property damages accounted for more than $300,000 of the total damages. 

The record rainfall also crossed state lines. Records were broken along the Arkansas River as it crested at approximately 41.8 feet, the highest on record during this time. The river would remain at flood stage until June 4, 1943. As for Oklahoma, May of 1943 would break the previous record for the wettest month of May at the time, with the eastern region recording an average rainfall of 14.26 inches and Miami, Okla., reporting a total of 23.95 inches of rainfall. 

Source: weather.gov 

Story Image: Webbers Falls bridge Flood of 1943. (George Miller)