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Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall Across the Central Plains and Central Appalachians

Severe thunderstorms producing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, hail and possibly a few tornadoes will continue through tonight across portions of Kansas and Oklahoma. Heavy rainfall will persist across the Central Appalachians through tonight, potentially leading to areas of flooding. The severe weather and heavy rainfall threat will shift into the lower Great Lakes on Wednesday. Read More >

National Weather Service to Lower Zero Datum and Raise
Flood Stages for the Canadian River near Mustang, Oklahoma

 

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman and the Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center in Tulsa, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey in Oklahoma City, will raise the flood stages for the river forecast point on Canadian River near Mustang, Oklahoma, effective March 9, 2022.

Recent changes in the river channel along the Canadian River will make it necessary for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to lower the zero datum 10.0 feet at the streamgage site on the Canadian River near Mustang. The zero datum will be lowered to 1768.42 feet by the USGS. Consequently, the flood stages will have to be raised 10.0 feet as a result of this datum change. The flood stage will be raised from 12.0 feet to 22.0 feet. Moderate flood stage will be raised from 14.0 feet to 24.0 feet. Major flood stage will be raised from 16.0 feet to 26.0 feet.

The Canadian River Basin is subject to occasional flooding, with minor to moderate flooding occurring along the Canadian River near Mustang during several flood events in May, June, and July of 2015, and in May of 2019. The USGS operates and maintains telemetered streamgaging equipment on the OK State Highway 4 Bridge south of Mustang.

Other river forecast services in the Canadian River drainage area are supported by the Norman forecast office and the river forecast center include upstream river stage forecast points near Taloga and Bridgeport, and downstream river stage forecast points at Norman, Purcell, and Calvin, Oklahoma.

The Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center prepares river stage forecasts for the drainage area of the Arkansas River above Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and the drainage area of the Red River above Fulton, Arkansas. Covering approximately 208,000 square miles, the forecast center's area of responsibility includes all of Oklahoma, and portions of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.

The Norman office provides all the weather services for 48 counties in the western two-thirds of Oklahoma (excluding the Oklahoma panhandle), and eight counties in western north Texas. The office collects meteorological data, prepares and disseminates weather forecasts, river and flood forecasts and warnings; and, issues severe weather watches and warnings to the public. Additional information is available at http:// www.weather.gov/norman or http://www.weather.gov/abrfc.