Floods in Skiatook and Sperry cause church to cancel services

People living near Skiatook and Sperry dealt with some of the worst flooding on Wednesday.

Between detours and taking it slow, the flooding was a problem for drivers in Sperry. Road closures were up in several parts of town.

"We've got so much history of it now that people are more aware and people take a little more observation now than they used to," said. Travis Cole. He's lived in Sperry for nearly sixty years and has seen his fair share of flooding.

"2019, we had four foot of water in the house, and so needless to say, my mom's little little nervous," he said.

He's relieved this flooding isn't as bad as the 2019 floods, but says he's still taking precautions.

"I have livestock myself. I've got horses, and normally I'm scrambling trying to get them out. I'm not worried. Then I know the next door neighbor, they got their cattle out. There's some cattle that that are still got high spots to get to at the moment," he said.

In Skiatook, church services at Skiatook First Assembly were canceled out of an abundance of caution.

"Although the clouds are breaking up a little bit and they see the water running down the streets, they might think everything's getting good, but over the next 24 hours, it's going to continue to rise as the water runs off," said Pastor Eddie McElhannon. He said he didn't make the decision lightly, but says the safety of the community is the most important thing.

"Nothing I can say in there is going to be as important as them being protected and then being able to show up in the future," he said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol urges people to stay clear of flooded roads, follow local advisories, and do not drive around roadblocks.