NATURE STRIKES AGAIN: City faces flooding after Waxhoma dam breach
By Brodie Myers
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BARNSDALL, Oklahoma (KJRH) — The Waxhoma Dam, held together by a patch job, failed April 30. Causing water to flood creeks and rush over County Road 233.
Robert Rayborn lives in Barnsdall and looked at video from the flooding.
“I was blown away. I could not believe it broke,” Rayborn said.
Mayor Johnny Kelley said he’s seen this coming for years. He said the slow wheels of bureaucracy prevented a permanent fix for the dam.
“It’s a substantial failure. We’re just monitoring it very closely to make sure that we don’t have a complete failure,” Kelley said.
Mayor Kelley and Barnsdall’s neighbors are exhausted. For the last year, their town has been hit with severe weather.
“After last year’s tornadoes, it was pretty bad. I mean, [us neighbors have] kept an eye out since then,” Rayborn said.
At last check with the mayor, the flooding did not pose a threat to any people or property.
“We ain’t got nowhere else to go. So absolutely blessed for it not being [in the main part of town],” Rayborn said.
Kelley told 2 News Oklahoma’s Brodie Myers that a permanent fix for the dam is on the horizon.
“I spoke with our engineers and staff today on the phone and they need to complete their engineering. They tell me that it could be completed and they’ll be able to go out for bid around the first of the week,” Kelley said.
The April 30 flooding, Kelley said, is the worst he has ever seen.
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