Sertoma and Pier 51 fireworks shows canceled due to flooding

The annual Pier 51 and Sand Springs Sertoma Club fireworks shows have been canceled for the 2019 season due to flooding.

The Sertoma Club has hosted an annual fireworks show on July 3rd since 1989, but this is the second time in the past three years that the event has been canceled. In 2017 the club had to cancel their show due to construction in Case Community Park. Now it has been called off due to extensive flood damage after the entirety of Case Park was submerged for more than a week.

Pier 51 on Keystone Lake also hosts an annual Independence Day fireworks show and has called off their festivities due to high waters and low revenue. At press time Keystone Lake is 25 feet higher than this date last year. According to event organizers, the area from which the fireworks are normally launched is currently submerged. High water levels and questionable lake conditions due to upstream flooding have put a damper on the Keystone-area economy this season.

One fireworks show that will continue unimpeded is the eighth annual Big Blast Fireworks Show and Kids Fun Fest at 17516 West 8th Street. Festivities kick off at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, June 22nd with the fireworks show beginning at dark. There will be free games, prizes, concessions and more with $10 kids passes available for unlimited inflatable jumps and a pony ride.

Keystone Dam outflow reduced, community meeting scheduled and other resources for flood victims

For the first time in weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun significantly scaling back release rates at the Keystone Dam. By 2:00 p.m. Thursday outflow had been reduced from 275,000 cubic feet per second to 230,000. Inflow is down to 204,251 cf/s, its lowest rate since May 20th. The flood pool is at 104.9% with pool elevation at 755.5 feet. With no additional rains, the Corps is projecting 100,000 cf/s by June 3rd.

By Monday evening the Sand Springs Police had shut down Highway 51 all the way from Riverview RV Park to 145th West Avenue due to flooding from Anderson Creek. The Arkansas River tributary was one of the first places to flood in Sand Springs, taking out the Meadow Valley subdivision, the Webco Star Center, Sand Springs Sand and Gravel Company, and Double H Sales.

National Guard checkpoints have been established at the Highway 51 intersections with 145th West Avenue, Town and Country Drive, and 165th West Avenue. Residents in those neighborhoods are still allowed to return, but the Meadow Valley subdivision was temporarily off limits.

At peak outflow, 145th flooded at the entrance to the neighborhood, cutting off access to anyone without a substantially lifted vehicle. However waters began to recede Wednesday evening. Some residents reported 2-3 feet reduction in water levels around their property.

Charles Page Boulevard closed Tuesday from 65th West Avenue to 74th West Avenue, then expanded to 81st on Wednesday. The National Guard is concerned about soil liquification under the roadway and potential sinkholes.

The Starbucks in River West shut down Monday and will remain closed until the Arkansas River flooding situation is resolved and the levee system is no longer at risk.

Case Community Park has been closed for the past week due to substantial flooding and will likely remain closed for some time.

Resources

Broadway Baptist Church will be hosting an informative event Thursday at 1000 North Adams Road for locals affected by the flood. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with remarks to begin at 6:30 p.m. Senator James Lankford, Congressman Kevin Hern, Governor Kevin Stitt, Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith will be in attendance.

Senator Jim Inhofe will be on hand at 5:30 p.m. to speak with constituents, but will not be available during the 6:30 meeting due to a previously scheduled conference call. The event is only open to residents of Town & Country, Candlestick Beach, and other affected flood victims in unincorporated Tulsa County areas of Sand Springs. QuikTrip is providing free drinks and pastries for the event.

Angus Church at 4401 South 129th West Avenue is serving three meals a day for locals affected by the floods and tornadoes. Breakfast is at 8:00 a.m., lunch is at 12:00 p.m., and dinner is at 6:00 p.m. However, the Thursday dinner will be moved up to 5:00 p.m. so as to not conflict with the meeting at Broadway Baptist.

Broadway will be providing free dinner to flood victims, first responders, and military Sunday June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The church is partnering with Rolling River Relief and Sand Springs Community Services to bring multiple food trucks. Broadway is also offering free clothing and some financial support. They can be reached at 918-245-7513.

The Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Inc. has opened a Disaster Relief Distribution Center at the Sand Springs Church of Christ Activity Building at 4301 South 113th West Avenue. Beginning Thursday, May 30th, they are open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily with boxed foods, baby care items, personal care items, cleaning supplies, and more. Flood victims should bring a valid driver’s license or ID card with your current address. This is a distribution site only and will not be able to receive donations.

Uhaul of Tulsa is offering free 30 day storage rental to anyone impacted by recent flooding. This is only at Uhaul Centers, not neighborhood dealers. Participating locations are 6105 South Peoria Avenue, 5140 South 103rd East Avenue, 3500 South Sheridan Road, 1006 South Memorial Drive, and 504 East Archer Street.

Samaritan’s Purse arrived Thursday to help with the physical labor that flood victims will have to deal with. The nondenominational evangelical Christian organization helps with gutting damaged homes to prep them for restoration. They are stationed in the Prattville Center at 3 West 41st Street to receive volunteers and flood victims in need of assistance. You can reach Samartian’s Purse at 918-257-1381. Samaritan’s Purse will provide training Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and on Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

Solace Church at 7314 West 41st Street will also be doing physical labor similar to Samaritan’s Purse. They can be reached at 217-853-1124.

Free meals are available for children up to age 18 from the Sand Springs Public Schools Child Nutrition Department. For information on locations and times, call 918-246-1430.

Sand Springs Community Services has food, clothing, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, toys, and other household items at 114 West 4th Street. They can be reached at 918-245-5183.

Sand Springs Care Closet at 3417 South 113th West Avenue has clothing and toys. They can be reached at 918-269-8434.

Harvest Church is receiving donations of cleaning supplies and canned goods at 1601 West 4th Street and can be reached at 918-245-0193. They have free cleaning supplies and bottled water at both their Sand Springs location and their 349 South 49th West Avenue location.

First Presbyterian Church at 222 North Adams Road has a food bank and can be reached at 918-245-1748.

Olivet Baptist Church at 155 North 65th West Avenue has a food bank and can be reached at 918-260-5369.

CrossPoint Church at 4600 South 129th West Avenue has a food bank and can be reached at 918-245-2534. They are accepting donations of bleach, gloves, cleaning supplies, bottled water, rags, and personal hygiene items.

HillSpring Church has clothing and licensed counselors available at 8801 West 41st Street and can be reached at 918-955-2031. They are accepting donations of trash bags, cleaning supplies ,bottled water, gloves, toilet paper, and paper towels.

Church That Matters has licensed counselors available at 3 West 41st Street and can be reached at 918-512-1486. They are accepting donations of bottled water, pre-packaged snacks, cleaning supplies, paper towels, gloves, and trash bags.

For resource updates, visit https://www.churchthatmatters.com/floodrelief

The City of Sand Springs canceled their “Chipper Days” event schedule for June 1st. The next date is July 13th. Citizens with a City water bill for proof of residence will be able to bring tree branches for free disposal.

Beginning Monday, free tetanus shots will be available at Gilstrap Chiropractic Clinic at 3900 South 113th West Avenue.

Leaking levees not a concern according to Tulsa County Levee Commissioner

On Memorial Day weekend 1984 the area surrounding 65th West Avenue and Charles Page Boulevard was completely submerged in the worst flood Tulsa has ever seen. The water level from that event is painted onto the B Levee dike as a sobering reminder of the devastation that ultimately left 14 people dead in Tulsa.

Fast forward 35 years and once again Oklahoma is facing a statewide flood of historic nature. As of midnight Friday, the Keystone Dam is releasing 251,901 cubic feet of water per second. The dam has been releasing over 200,000 for 36 hours now, but during that time the lake rose two feet due to inflow exceeding 300,000. The flood control pool is at 104.92% capacity.

Not only is the ever-rising Arkansas River threatening the south side of Levee A, but a flooded Harlow Creek is steadily rising on the north side of Levee B. Page Boulevard runs right between the two, and the large concrete dikes on either side are springing leaks. The runoff from these leaks has drawn concern from local residents, but it’s of no concern to Levee officials.

According to Tulsa County Levee Commissioner Todd Kilpatrick, the leaks are perfectly normal. The dikes aren’t solid, they’re made of several concrete slabs joined together. Currently, the water is only coming out of the joints due to hydrostatic pressure. The same sight has been observed at the Keystone Dam.

Although he has spent years lobbying for increased funding and a new modernized levee system, he maintains that the current World War 2-era system is doing its job. The biggest danger to the sand-based levees isn’t the amount of water behind them, but the amount of time they’re inundated, allowing the earth to soak. and potentially liquefy.

Though the Tulsa/Sand Springs border is still safe for now, things are gradually worsening back to the west.

Case Community Park is completely flooded. Softball, soccer, and baseball fields are all submerged, as is the BMX track, the disc golf course, playgrounds, and the Rotary Super Splash Pad. As of 8:00 p.m. Thursday, water was nearly to the roof of the old soccer concession stands.

Sand Springs Parks Director Jeff Edwards says the Parks staff worked nonstop to remove as much at-risk park equipment as possible before the rising water finally brought their efforts to a stop. He believes they saved as much as $200,000 worth of picnic tables and other equipment.

The park received a $6 million remodel less than three years ago, but Edwards says the park facilities and equipment are insured. Between insurance and potential FEMA funding, finances shouldn’t be a problem for rebuilding most of the park. However, it’ll take extensive man-hours to clear debris and make repairs. All of the utilities will have to be inspected, the artificial turf in all of the playgrounds will have to be replaced, and its unclear how the waters will affect the BMX track’s berms.

On the bright side, all of the new playground equipment is expected to survive the waters without damage, as is the new amphitheater and the art pieces around the Great Lawn.

The Sand Springs Animal Shelter was evacuated Thursday afternoon as flood waters began approaching the building. The animals are being temporarily housed at the Humane Society of Tulsa. Animal Welfare workers will still be available to help with rescues.

Highway 51 is closed for the foreseeable future from Riverview RV Park west to 137th West Avenue. All four lanes are submerged due to overflow from Anderson Creek. Anderson Creek has also flooded the Meadow Valley subdivision all the way up to 26th Street, as well as the Sand Springs Sand and Gravel Company and Double H Sales.

The Tulsa Boys Home has evacuated all of their students. Privately placed boys have been picked up by their guardians, while wards of the State have been placed in temporary foster care.

The Riverside West and Town & Country subdivisions have flooded all the way up to 19th Street. At least seven blocks are under four feet of water or higher.

The White Water Recreation Area on the Southeast side of the dam has been completely flooded and closed off. Anyone wanting to view the dam will have to park on the north side of the river near Bush Creek Park.

As of 7:00 p.m. the beachfront at Candlestick Beach was flooded and beginning to cover parts of 14th Street. Voluntary evacuation is heavily encouraged for residents of the subdivision.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol has rescue boats staged at various points along the river. The Tulsa County Sheriffs Department is assisting with evacuation at Candlestick Beach and Town & Country, while the Sand Springs Police and Sand Springs/Sapulpa Joint Fire Department are occupying Highway 51 outside of Meadow Valley.

Click here to visit our Flood of 2019 homepage for extensive video and photo coverage.

Evacuations continue in Sand Springs as flood waters rise, Keystone output surpasses 205,000 cfs

Sand Springs, OK - The City of Sand Springs is advising Meadow Valley residents and others living in low lying areas along the Arkansas River to expect REAL flooding to occur and to take immediate action. The City is advising residents to take immediate actions to remove or protect property from those areas, and to consider a voluntary evacuation by 6:00 p.m. today. There is no mandatory evacuation in place.

With new information this morning from the USACE of dam releases increasing to 215,000 cfs later today and holding there, the City expects portions of the Meadow Valley neighborhood, and potentially others, to flood. This flood event is expected to last for several days. Highway 51 near 137th West Avenue will likely flood, making vehicular traffic there impossible.

Last night the City of Sand Springs declared an emergency disaster proclamation, with actions to take place designed to protect public health, reduce damage and render emergency services to citizens. Officials from Webco Industries have made changes to their operations at the former “STAR” center until this flood event has passed and are closed. Case Community Park remains closed with warnings for citizens not to enter. City Police and Fire crews are working the various scenes around the clock to monitor.

If an American Red Cross emergency shelter is needed later, plans are in place now for that to happen. The City reminds area residents to monitor the City of Sand Springs Face Book page for real time updates.

City of Sand Springs Advising Citizens for Flood Potential

Sand Springs, OK - The City of Sand Springs is advising area residents, especially those in the Meadow Valley housing neighborhood to brace for the potential of additional flooding. Although the rain event has stopped for now, the lag time for waters upstream of Keystone Dam to reach Sand Springs can delay flooding activities downstream for several hours.

Last night, City of Sand Springs Police and Fire teams reached out (via phone messages and neighborhood visits) to residents in the Meadow Valley neighborhood, along HWY 51 in Sand Springs to alert residents of the potential for flooding. This area, and others in Tulsa County which may not be in City limits but are near the Arkansas River, may be affected by the planned increases in outflows from Keystone Dam later tonight.

In Sand Springs City limits, Case Community Park has now closed until further notice. All sports and trail related activities are cancelled at this site. The Case Community Center (1050 W. Wekiwa Road) however remains open.

The City urges residents to pay attention to street closures and the accompanying traffic barricades that are placed to protect public safety.

This afternoon, the USACE confirms that 100,000 cubic feet/ second (cfs) of water is being currently, with 20,000 cfs increases planned at 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., leaving the discharge at that time to be around 160,000 cfs. The USACE will revise dam operations as needed after that.

2 Angels Toy Run honors fallen Sandites and veterans, collects Christmas Presents for Salvation Army

More than 200 Sandites turned out Saturday to honor two young car crash victims by donating toys to the Salvation Army. (Photo: Scott Emigh). 

Click here to view the full photo gallery.

In October of 2010, two Charles Page High School students were tragically killed in an auto collision that left the community reeling. Hannah Christian and Cassidy Rotramel were only fifteen years old when their vehicle was t-boned. Their driver was reportedly distracted with an electronic device and rolled a stop sign. None of the passengers were wearing seatbelts.

The tragedy was a sobering wake up call for the community on the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of safety precautions. It was also a time of mourning for the popular teens who were both role model students.

The schools were filled with additional counselors in the coming weeks and hundreds of students utilized their services to cry, vent, and search for answers. Classmate and musician Jake Tankersley used his college savings to record a song in their honor and the "See You Soon" single sold thousands of copies to help pay for their funerals.

The close knit Sandite community vowed not to let their deaths be in vain. Hundreds of students signed a pledge to never text and drive. Then, within a few weeks, the 2 Angels Toy Run and scholarship fund was born.

Christian family friend Eddie Baugher envisioned the toy run and Church That Matter has since taken over the event. Each year, hundreds of car and motorcycle enthusiasts turn out for the drive and bring new, unwrapped toys to donate to area charities in time for Christmas. The Church That Matters Holy Smokers serve barbecue and t-shirts are sold to raise money for scholarships. Two $3000 scholarships are given away each year to CPHS students.

Members of the Sand Springs Community Band perform at the 2 Angels Toy Run in honor of Veterans Day.

The event is regularly held on the second Saturday of November, which happened to coincide with Veterans Day in 2017. The Sand Springs Community Band turned out to perform the songs of each branch of the military, and veterans were recognized prior to the ride.

More than a hundred motorcycles and cars turned out with hundreds of donors. The motorcade ran from the Tulsa Community College West Campus to the Keystone Dam then back to Charles Page High School where they turned their toys in to the Salvation Army. Local businesses donated door prizes for a drawing among toy donors. Prizes were also awarded for the best decorated motorcycles.