Rising Water Causes Voluntary Evacuations In SW OKC

Residents living in Southwest Oklahoma City are on high alert Friday. Rising fast moving water in the South Canadian River, prompted voluntary evacuations.

Residents living east of the South Canadian River are monitoring the rising water level. Fast moving water is now swallowing the river bank and pushing the levy to its limit.

Jaycee and Toby Bogart estimate the raging South Canadian River has swallowed close to 100 acres of their land.

“Since Monday, it's come back all the way to here. Normally the river is on the other side of that small line of trees,” said Jaycee Bogart.

The sound of the crumbling river bank crashing into the water woke them up Thursday night. What they saw was the shoreline near their mobile home quickly disappearing along with the levy.

The couple moved their home and alerted authorities.

“It's a good thing we did or we would have lost it about two hours later,” said Bogart.

Their call prompted Oklahoma City Police to go door to door around midnight, alerting residents east of the levy to the flooding threat.

An issue the Swearingen family is still cleaning up inside their home from earlier this month. Three feet of water filled their home on May 6th.

“Unlike anything that we've ever seen before. We've never experienced anything ever coming over the brume and into the house,” said Amy Swearingen.

The family takes all potential flood threats seriously. Important keepsakes like photo albums for now are stored on the mantle.

“We absolutely have our life jackets in place. We do have an evacuation plan if need be,” she said.

The Swearingens decided to monitor the rising water from their home, while other neighbors chose to stay in a hotel.

The Bogarts, though, are left feeling helpless watching land they've owned since the 70's vanish into the river.

“At first it was pretty overwhelming and we felt like we couldn't do anything. And now it's like well crud,” said Bogart.

Crews worked Friday to strengthen the levy. Residents in the area now pray the patch job works.

Oklahoma City Police said there are about 15 homes in the area in total. No word on when it will be safe for those folks to return.