OKLAHOMA CITY -- Tropical Storm "Hermine" has already prompted high-water rescues in Texas. Will she bring flooding to Oklahoma as well? At the Red Cross in Oklahoma City, they aren't taking any chances. Cleanup kits line the walls waiting for the moment they are needed and volunteers have the shelters on standby. James Tittle with the Red Cross says, "Our initial focus is on making sure people have a warm place to stay and food to eat."
Oklahoma's dramatic weather gives emergency teams plenty of practice at planning for disasters, but this type of rain does come with unusual challenges.
Oklahoma County Emergency Management Director David Barnes says, "There's not a great deal of rainfall right here, but 2 or 3 miles away could be substantial. So we can't depend on what we have in our area particularly for traveling across town or across the county."
The emergency organizations have been preparing for this threat for days.
Barnes says, "We're monitoring rivers, monitoring streams and places that normally have flooding conditions. Then obviously keeping an eye on the rainfall reports."
For all Oklahomans, the best bet is to simply stay aware of your surroundings.
Tittle adds, "Probably most important safety-wise is listen to local authorities. If you are told not to drive in a certain area, don't drive in that area. They provide those warnings for a reason."
Oklahoma's dramatic weather gives emergency teams plenty of practice at planning for disasters, but this type of rain does come with unusual challenges.
Oklahoma County Emergency Management Director David Barnes says, "There's not a great deal of rainfall right here, but 2 or 3 miles away could be substantial. So we can't depend on what we have in our area particularly for traveling across town or across the county."
The emergency organizations have been preparing for this threat for days.
Barnes says, "We're monitoring rivers, monitoring streams and places that normally have flooding conditions. Then obviously keeping an eye on the rainfall reports."
For all Oklahomans, the best bet is to simply stay aware of your surroundings.
Tittle adds, "Probably most important safety-wise is listen to local authorities. If you are told not to drive in a certain area, don't drive in that area. They provide those warnings for a reason."
