Flooding on the
Canadian River

The Canadian River had three different gages exceed flood stage as a result of the heavy rainfall August 18-19. Some of the gages went into major flood stage. All three of the gages experienced crests that were in the top five highest of all time at their respective stations. Several of the stations (Bridgeport and Union City) have not experienced crests that high in the past half-century. Bridgeport had a record crest, which broke a record that had been held since 1914, or for 93 years! The "impact descriptions" provided were taken from the AHPS website and describe theoretical conditions at a certain river stage at a given location.

Bridgeport

 
  EXCEEDED BANKFULL:  N/A            EXCEEDED FLOOD STAGE:  N/A
  CRESTED:  21.03 FT  08/19  330PM
  RECORD FLOODING OCCURRED
  IMPACT DESCRIPTION: AT 21 FEET...FLOODING AFFECTS CROPLANDS...PASTURES...AND 
                      OIL WELLS NEAR THE RIVER. FLOOD PLAIN FIELDS AT HIGHER 
                      ELEVATIONS AWAY FROM THE RIVER MAY BE CUT OFF FROM EASY 
                      ACCESS BY HIGH WATER IN SIDE CHANNELS. SAND DREDGING 
                      OPERATIONS ARE AFFECTED. UPSTREAM POINTS IN SOUTHERN 
                      BLAINE COUNTY MAY SEE FLOODING BEFORE THE AREAS NEAR 
                      BRIDGEPORT IN NORTHERN CADDO COUNTY. DOWNSTREAM POINTS
                      IN SOUTHWESTERN CANADIAN COUNTY ARE AFFECTED HOURS LATER.   

  NOTES:              THE CREST OF 21.03 FEET BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 19.40
                      FEET WHICH WAS SET ON MAY 3 1914. THEREFORE...FLOODING THIS 
                      SEVERE HAS NOT BEEN EXPERIENCED AT BRIDGEPORT IN THE LAST
                      93 YEARS.

Union City

• View of the railroad bridge where the staff gage is located during the flooding.
• View of the railroad bridge where the staff gage is located during low flow.

 
  EXCEEDED BANKFULL:  N/A            EXCEEDED FLOOD STAGE:  N/A
  CRESTED:  13.50 FT  08/20  230PM
  MAJOR FLOODING OCCURRED
  IMPACT DESCRIPTION: AT 13 FEET...VALLEY-WIDE FLOODING WITH DEPTHS UP TO 6 FEET 
                      OCCURS ALONG THE RIVER ON THE CANADIAN-GRADY COUNTY BORDER 
                      FROM NEAR U.S. HIGHWAY 81 BETWEEN UNION CITY AND MINCO TO 
                      NEAR TUTTLE. AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND LOCAL ROADS ARE THE 
                      AREAS MOST AFFECTED ALONG THE CANADIAN RIVER.    

  NOTES:              THE CREST OF 13.50 FEET IS THE THIRD HIGHEST ALL TIME 
                      AT UNION CITY. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CREST THIS HIGH SINCE
                      MAY 31 1937...OR IN THE LAST 70 YEARS.

Purcell

Not all of these pictures weren't taken from the Purcell river gage, but rather from Interstate-35 near the Norman river gage, unless otherwise indicated.

• Looking downstream from Interstate 35.
• Also looking downstream from the highway.
• Looking upstream from Interstate 35.
• Also looking upstream from the highway.
• Picture of the staff gage at Purcell.

 
  EXCEEDED BANKFULL:  N/A            EXCEEDED FLOOD STAGE:  N/A
  CRESTED:  15.40 FT  08/21  1100PM
  MAJOR FLOODING OCCURRED
  IMPACT DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE    

  NOTES:              THE CREST OF 15.40 FEET IS THE SECOND HIGHEST ALL TIME 
                      AT PURCELL. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CREST THIS HIGH SINCE
                      MAY 3 1990.