The Caney River is expected to crest around 7 p.m. today at 19.1 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
“At noon today the Caney River was observed to be at 17.66 feet. Flood stage in the Bartlesville area is 13 feet,” said City of Bartlesville Director of Engineering and Floodplain Administrator Micah Siemers. “There are already multiple locations where water is over streets.”
Road closures in Bartlesville include:
- State Highway 123 between Bartlesville and Dewey
- Tuxedo Boulevard between Wyandotte and the Caney River
- Silver Lake Road between Frank Phillips and Tuxedo
“Streets are already flooded north of Cudahy and in various other locations in close proximity to the Caney River and its tributaries,” Siemers said.
In July 2007 the river crested at 21.5 feet, compared to a projection of 19.1 feet with the current event, Siemers said.
Siemers said that based on some data collected during the July 2007 event, the area can conservatively expect more flooding in these general locations:
- North of Cudahy and east of Woodrow and between Park and Johnstone about a block south of Cudahy
- North of Lupa between Cass and Santa Fe
- Between Choctaw and the River south of Eight Street
- North of Hensley/Tuxedo from Wyandotte to Comanche
- While already impacted, expect more homes to be affected in Kenilworth Addition on Hampden Road and Hampden Square west of the intersection of the two roads
Also, at projected levels the closure of additional streets should also be expected, including 2100 Road between Highway 123 and Circle Mountain. Circle Mountain is already isolated from Johnstone Avenue at current levels.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced earlier today they are releasing 12,000 cubic feet of water per second from Hulah Lake and 3,000 cubic feet per second from Copan Lake.
“The Corps announced they will be steadily increasing releases at Hulah and Copan lakes to a maximum release of 15,000 cubic feet of water per second by the end of business today,” Siemers said. “At this flow rate, the river stage in Bartlesville should hover around 16 feet. Currently, they plan to maintain this release for the next seven days.”
Siemers said information so far indicates this flooding event should not reach the flood elevations of 2007.
“According to the USACE, this flood elevation will crest about two feet lower than it did in 2007,” he said. “It’s important that everyone take the usual safety precautions: don’t drive into standing water, don’t return to flooded property until the water recedes and generally avoid flooded areas.”