OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Lonnie Sims (R-Jenks) hosted an interim study at the State Capitol last week to conduct a state-level review of the actions taken leading up to the response in the historic Arkansas River Flood of 2019.
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Lonnie Sims (R-Jenks) hosted an interim study at the State Capitol last week to conduct a state-level review of the actions taken leading up to the response in the historic Arkansas River Flood of 2019.
“Four months ago, Oklahomans endured the second most significant flood the Arkansas River has experienced since 1986,” Sims said. “No community was spared, nor the many cities and towns inundated by overflows of lesser-known creeks and streams that fed into it.”
Sims said the purpose of the interim study was to facilitate an after-action examination with key federal, state and local governmental agencies as well as public and private stakeholders that were negatively impacted up and down the river.
“We have no higher duty as public officials than to protect the people we serve,” Sims said. “The grit and determination of those who suffered during this event, along with the outpouring of support from the community should inspire us all to gain every lesson, good or bad, to better respond and, if at all possible, prevent the next one.”
The first day of the study was highlighted by an emotional opening presentation by Justin Patterson, whose family experienced the event firsthand in the Sand Springs neighborhood of Town and Country. Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith spoke about the flooding throughout the state and the critical need for investment in the agingTulsaCountyDistrict12 Levee system that was pushed to the brink.
This was further accentuated by Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA) Director Joe Kralicek, who, when asked how the City of Tulsa would have been affected if the levees had failed, responded that it would have been the “single most catastrophic” natural disaster in Oklahoma’s history.
“We would have had at least 24 dead according to the Army Corp of Engineers, hundreds injured and over one billion dollars in damage,” Kralicek said.
“I am truly humbled by the interest of our federal, state, local and tribal stakeholders to participate,” Sims said. “We had an exceptional group of presenters today and believe our next meeting on Oct. 1 will be just as impactful.”