The Latest: Oklahoma governor says more rain a concern

By Associated Press 23 May 2019, 12:00AM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on storm damage in the Southern Plains and Midwest (all times local):

9:35 a.m.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says more rain in the forecast is a big concern with parts of the state already flooded following severe weather that's blamed for at least three deaths after also battering Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

Stitt spoke at a news conference Wednesday in Tulsa following an aerial tour with Tulsa Mayor G.W. Bynum and other officials.

Forecasters say parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas could see more severe weather Wednesday, the latest in a multi-day stretch of storms that have spawned dozens of tornadoes.

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma through the weekend. More than 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain has fallen since Sunday in parts of Oklahoma after an already rainy spring .

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9:05 a.m.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade into high water.

The unidentified woman's body was sent to the state medical examiner's office to confirm the cause of death. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said she isn't yet listed as what would be the state's first storm-related death.

The OHP says the woman drove onto the water covered roadway near Perkins, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City and was swept off the highway.

A storm system that spawned numerous tornadoes since Sunday in Oklahoma has been followed by heavy rains that dumped more than 8 inches of rain in parts of the state.

The National Weather Service has issued flood and flash flood warnings for the northeastern corner of the state through the remainder of the week.

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8:40 a.m.

Authorities say one person has been killed and another injured by what may have been a tornado that damaged a farmstead in southwest Iowa's Adair County.

The Adair County Sheriff's Office says first responders found the body of 74-year-old Linda Brownlee early Wednesday morning at the farm just east-southeast of Adair. Seventy-eight-year-old Harold Brownlee was flown to a Des Moines hospital.

Robert Kempf, emergency management coordinator for Adair and Guthrie counties, says the Brownlee home sits atop a hill, so the extensive damage could have been caused by straight-line winds. The National Weather Service is sending an assessment team to determine whether a tornado was involved.

Kempf says three outbuildings were destroyed at the farm, and two nearby houses were damaged as well.

The weather service says debris from the farmstead landed on nearby Interstate 80.

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6:40 a.m.

A small town in Oklahoma is urging residents to evacuate as the Arkansas River heads toward near-historic levels.

Forecasters say major flooding is expected in Webbers Falls, a town of about 600 people about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City.

According to the National Weather Service, the Arkansas River was at 34.5 feet (10.5 meters), or 6.5 feet (2 meters) above flood stage, as of Wednesday morning. The river was expected to rise to 40 feet (12 meters) by Thursday morning. The National Weather Service says the flooding poses an "extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation."

Forecasters say parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas could see severe weather Wednesday, the latest in a multi-day stretch of storms that have spawned dozens of tornadoes and caused two deaths in Missouri.

By Associated Press 23 May 2019, 12:00AM

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