Oklahoma City area flash flooding, Oct. 14–16: Canadian River near Bridgeport crested near 19.1 feet
Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Ready.gov says just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
Past event. Flood · Oklahoma, Texas · Oct. 14, 2026 to Oct. 16, 2026. In danger, call 911.
What is happening
The National Weather Service in Norman issued Flash Flood Warnings across central and western Oklahoma on Wednesday, Oct. 14, after 3 to 6 inches of rain caused life-threatening flash flooding in the Oklahoma City metro and 4 to 11 inches fell in parts of Canadian, Kingfisher, Blaine and Caddo counties. More NWS Norman Flash Flood Warnings followed early Thursday, Oct. 15, for parts of Cleveland, McClain, Pottawatomie, Grady, Garvin, Stephens, Comanche and Cotton counties, including Norman, Shawnee, Duncan and Lawton. The Canadian River near Bridgeport, which NWS said approached its flood of record, crested at about 19.1 ft early Thursday and fell below flood stage Friday morning, Oct. 16; by Saturday it was below action stage. On Saturday, Oct. 17, NWS Norman still had Flood Warnings for minor river flooding on the Red River near Burkburnett and Beaver Creek near Electra in north Texas and far southern Oklahoma, so check the live panel and your local NWS office.
Areas under warnings include the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding counties (including Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, McClain, Grady, Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Blaine and Caddo), western and southwestern Oklahoma under Flood Watches (including Kiowa, Jackson and Tillman), parts of the Tulsa area under Flood Watch, and adjacent north Texas counties under Flood Watch (Wichita, Archer and Clay).
Source: NWS Norman Flash Flood and Flood Warnings, Oct. 14 to 17, 2026; USGS and NWS river gauge data (Canadian River near Bridgeport). Warnings change; the live panel below is the current word from NWS.
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Local help near you
Open shelters and FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in Oklahoma, Texas, straight from FEMA.
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Live NWS alerts for the affected areas
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FEMA disaster declarations
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Confirmed damage
Only official reports: NWS Local Storm Reports and damage surveys, plus statements from FEMA, USGS and state or county emergency management. No news or social media rumors.
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Official statements and assessments
- River crest 2026-10-17T10:45:00-05:00
Final: the Canadian River near Bridgeport, OK (USGS 07228500) crested at 19.12 ft (USGS provisional) at 12:30 a.m. CDT Thu., Oct. 15, in major flood (major stage 17 ft). It fell below the 14 ft flood stage around 9 a.m. CDT Fri., Oct. 16, and read 11.75 ft at 10:45 a.m. CDT Sat., Oct. 17, below the 12 ft action stage, with NWS showing no flooding.
Source: USGS Water Data / NWS National Water Prediction Service, checked 2026-10-17T12:40:00-04:00 - River crest 2026-10-15T04:45:00-05:00
The Canadian River near Bridgeport, OK (USGS 07228500) peaked at about 19.1 ft early Thu., Oct. 15 (USGS provisional reading 19.12 ft at 12:30 a.m. CDT) and was falling slowly, at 18.89 ft at 4:45 a.m. CDT, still in major flood above the 17 ft major stage (flood stage 14 ft). NWS Norman says this approaches the flood of record (19.4 ft on May 3, 1914); major flooding continues until Friday afternoon and the river is expected to fall below flood stage Friday morning.
Source: NWS National Water Prediction Service / NWS Norman Flood Warning, checked 2026-10-15T06:40:00-04:00
Preliminary reports; official totals may change.
Official state and local links
- Oklahoma Emergency ManagementState emergency management
- Oklahoma County Emergency ManagementOklahoma County (Oklahoma City area)
- Cleveland County Emergency ManagementCleveland County (Norman, Moore)
- Oklahoma county emergency managers (PDF)Find your county emergency manager
- OKTraffic road conditionsOklahoma road closures and conditions
- OG&E outage mapReport and check power outages
- PSO outagesPublic Service Company of Oklahoma outages
- NWS NormanForecasts and warnings · NWS
- NWS TulsaForecasts and warnings · NWS
- NWS LubbockForecasts and warnings · NWS
- NWS AmarilloForecasts and warnings · NWS
During: stay safe
- Get to safe shelter right away and evacuate if officials tell you to.
- Turn Around, Don't Drown: do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater, and never drive around barricades.
- Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
- If you're trapped in a building, go to the highest level. Do not climb into a closed attic; only go on the roof if necessary, then signal for help.
- If your car is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside. Get on the roof if water rises inside the car.
Source: (Ready.gov: Floods)
After: recover
- Return home only when officials say it's safe.
- Stay out of floodwater: it can be contaminated, hide debris, or be electrically charged by downed lines.
- Don't touch electrical equipment if it's wet or you're standing in water.
- Wear gloves, boots and protective clothing to clean up, and dry your home within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold.
- Homeowners insurance usually doesn't cover flooding; if you have NFIP or private flood insurance, file your claim and photograph everything first.
More official guidance
- NWS flood safetyFlood and flash flood safety · NWS
- National Water Prediction ServiceRiver forecasts and flood levels · NOAA
- Ready.gov: FloodsBefore, during and after · Ready.gov
- Water damage and mold guideDrying out and cleanup
- Flood insurance waiting periodNFIP 30-day wait explained
- Nor'easter and coastal flood guideCoastal flood alerts and what to do
- King tides and sunny-day floodingHigh tide flooding explained
- Flooding: full safety guide
Get help
- Roads & closures511, road conditions, flooding
- Find shelterOpen shelters and hotel help
- Boil-water noticesIs your tap water safe?
- FEMA & money helpAid, loans and free legal help
- Tarps & roof helpTarps, roof help and volunteer crews
- Safety firstGas, power lines, CO, floodwater
- After the storm: housing, mental health, money
- Insurance photo checklist
Common questions
Where can I see current warnings for the oklahoma flash flooding?
The live panel on this page pulls active alerts straight from the National Weather Service for the affected zones in Oklahoma, Texas. You can also check your local NWS office or weather.gov.
Is FEMA assistance available for the oklahoma flash flooding?
Only if a federal disaster is declared for your county. The FEMA panel on this page shows any declarations as they come in; you can also check DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.
How much water does it take to sweep away a car?
Ready.gov says one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away, and just six inches of moving water can knock you down.
Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?
Usually not. Ready.gov notes homeowners policies do not cover flooding; flood coverage comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood policy, which typically takes 30 days to start.