Crews repair water mains

Officials say crews have repaired water mains damaged by weekend flooding, allowing water restoration for residents in Locust Grove.

Tuesday, May 5th 2009, 11:40 am

By: News 9

LOCUST GROVE, Okla. (AP) -- Officials say crews have repaired water mains damaged by weekend flooding, allowing water restoration for residents in Locust Grove.
   Fire Chief Robert Foreman says the more than eight inches of rain that fell in the Pryor area in two days washed out pipes that carry the water. Foreman says the Cherokee Nation on Saturday delivered roughly 800 gallons of fresh drinking water for the town to the Locust Grove Fire Department.
   Mayes County and three other counties in northeast Oklahoma were inundated by water when thunderstorms dropped heavy rain on the state last week.
   Officials attributed two drowning deaths over the weekend to the flooding and emergency responders rescued at least 50 people who were stranded in their vehicles on water-covered roads or in their homes.
   Yesterday, portions of 10 roads in Mayes County remained closed because of flood damage.
   Mayes County emergency management director Johnny Janzen says he had no estimate on the number of homes that have received flood damage, though he placed that number at five over the weekend.