Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours of May 29th over central Oklahoma along a dry line and frontal boundary. A strong upper-level system was located over the northern plains, and a warm and unstable air mass was east of the front. The severe storms that developed moved east and northeast into eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. Many of the storms became severe, producing strong damaging winds and large hail. Much of northeast Oklahoma northwest of I-44 had1.5”- 4” of rain. The highest totals of 4”-5” occurred in the Skiatook, OK area. The widespread heavy rain resulted in mainstem river flooding along Bird Creek, the Caney River, the Verdigris River, and the Neosho River.
The severe weather continued into May 30th, as the frontal boundary stalled across the region, and conditions across the area remained very unstable. Additional severe thunderstorms developed over central and eastern Oklahoma, as well as in northwest Arkansas, producing very strong winds and large hail. Several tornadoes developed, affecting areas near Oilton, Mazie, Murphy, and Broken Arrow. The tornado that moved through Broken Arrow damaged dozens of homes, several severely, and destroyed outbuildings and several businesses. Major flooding became an issue as the thunderstorms tracked over the same areas, dropping several inches of rainfall. While rainfall on the 30th was generally 0.75”-2” across northeast Oklahoma north of Highway 412, as well as across northwest Arkansas, additional rainfall of 0.25”-over 2” occurred in southeast Oklahoma. Southern Le Flore County received 3” to over 6” of rain on the 30th into the 31st, with a majority of that rain falling in the 6-hour period from 9pm 5/30 to 3am 5/31. This rain led to extreme flash flooding, with the Emergency Manager reporting 4’-5’ of water in homes, several bridges washed out, and numerous roads and culverts with damage.
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