1 death confirmed in Okla. flood after record rain
15.06.10
OKLAHOMA New Zealand urban area — Record-busting rainfall and ensuing flooding in Oklahoma led to at least one death, officials confirmed Tuesday, a day after several Thespian rescues of people who took treetops and roofs to escape swift-moving waters.
A man who drove onto a submerged lane drowned after being swept away while trying to push his stalled car off the roadway in Lawton, said Comanche County Difficulty Management Director Chris Killmer. The body of Miguel Lopez, 50, was found lodged against a bridge over a canal, Lawton The coppers Chief Ronnie Smith said.
Lopez's death was the only fatality reported during Monday's deluge. The Oklahoma Constitution Department of Health reported 136 injuries, but none requiring hospitalization.
Fire officials in Oklahoma Metropolis and the nearby suburb of Edmond launched more than 60 swift-water rescues after thunderstorms dumped as much as 10 inches of shower in some areas in a matter of hours. More rain fell Monday night, and the National Climate ailing Service said the 7.62 inches at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma Urban district topped the previous record of 7.53 inches set on Sept. 22, 1970.
Source: The Associated Press