Roads damaged by flash flooding causing headaches for Nowata County residents
Flash flooding from multiple rounds of heavy rain has damaged several roads across Nowata County, leaving residents facing lengthy detours and safety concerns.
NOWATA COUNTY, Okla. -
Several roads across Nowata County remain damaged after multiple rounds of heavy rain triggered flash flooding, leaving residents and business owners dealing with long detours and safety concerns.
One of the hardest-hit areas is Road 3, located several miles northeast of Wann. Residents say the road has been washed out for about a week and a half, making travel difficult and disrupting daily life.
“It’s probably the worst storm I’ve seen, and I’m 48 years old,” said Trampas Benson, who lives in the area.
County officials estimate about a foot of rain fell in roughly seven hours, causing widespread flash flooding and significant damage to roads throughout the county.
Benson said the washed-out road has forced him and others to take nearly 17-mile detours just to reach U.S. Highway 169 for work.
“We can’t even get our trucks out. We’re having to go almost 17 miles out of the way just to get back around to 169 in order to take it to our jobs and stuff like that,” Benson said.
Beyond the inconvenience, Benson worries the road closure could delay emergency responders if someone in the area needs help.
“She’s 80-something years old. It can happen any day that something could happen to her, and our emergency team would have to go six or seven miles out of the way,” he said.
Nowata County District 2 Commissioner Billy Taylor said flooding caused damage to roads across the county. Additional storms over the Fourth of July weekend also left behind fallen tree limbs and other debris.
Taylor said county crews are working to repair damaged roads as quickly as possible while coordinating with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to secure funding and assistance.
Some roads can be repaired relatively quickly, but others, including the washed-out section of Road 3, will require more extensive work.
This week, Nowata County commissioners approved an emergency declaration in hopes of speeding up the recovery process and securing additional state assistance.
Residents can report road damage by contacting the county barn in the district where the problem is located.
