56
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$731K
Property damage
Flash Flood in Mayes County, Oklahoma: 56 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #519 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Mayes County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Mayes County is the 2010s, when 29 of the county's 56 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Mayes County archive, flash flood makes up 6.7% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #519 for this hazard and #17 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 83.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flash flood in Mayes County with 17 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1999 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $150K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2023 | BIG CABIN | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| May 5, 2022 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| May 5, 2022 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| May 27, 2020 | CHOUTEAU | 0 | $0 |
| May 4, 2020 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2019 | ADAIR | 0 | $0 |
| May 21, 2019 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| May 21, 2019 | PRYOR | 0 | $0 |
| May 3, 2018 | LOCUST GROVE | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Mayes County
- Hail 341
- Thunderstorm Wind 325
- Tornado 92
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Radar estimates of 4 to 8 inches of rain in Mayes County centered near Adair caused major flash flooding. The county emergency manager said in media reports that it was the worst flooding he had seen in his 30 years in that position.Flooding forced the closing of US Hwy 69 2 miles north of Adair and OK Hwy 28 near Adair. Between 630 and 700 AM CDT, a 53-year old man drowned when his car was washed away by eight-foot deep floodwaters flowing over OK Hwy 28 west of Adair. Those floodwaters were associated with heavy flows in a branch of Pryor Creek. Numerous county roads were flooded throughout Mayes County. Pryor Creek jumped its banks near Pryor, displacing ten people from their homes. Two trailers and one home received major damage from Pryor Creek flooding.
An average of 2 to 5 inches of rain fell across Mayes County during the morning of the 1st with a maximum of 7 inches at Pryor. Widespread flash flooding occurred throughout the county. At one time as many as 75 percent of the roads in the county had to be closed including Highways 69, 69A, 20 and 28. The sheriff's office reported that they had to perform 41 water rescues. In addition, 15 homes had to be evacuated. 11 homes in Chouteau received water damage. Homes and businesses in Pryor were affected as well. Downtown Pryor had to be closed for a time. Damage also occurred to the water treatment plants at Locust Grove and Salina.
Heavy rain caused numerous secondary roads to be flooded across a large part of Mayes County. Three water rescues were performed. One each at Pryor, Rose and just north of Adair. In addition, the flood waters damaged several secondary roads.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Mayes County, Oklahoma?
56 flash flood events are recorded in Mayes County between 1996 and 2023, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Mayes County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Mayes County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Mayes County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Mayes County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/mayes-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.