Early Tuesday, around 50 children were evacuated from the Boys and Girls Club in Sarisau, Oklahoma, as a sudden downpour led to flash flooding that swept through the town’s main street.
The flooding hit the camp during a busy time, prompting immediate action as heavy rain caused water to rush into the town center.
In just a quarter of an hour, nearly a foot of water surged inside the building.
While the area is somewhat familiar with flooding, locals mentioned that they had never experienced anything quite like Tuesday’s flash flood.
“We were monitoring the situation and when things escalated quickly, we knew we had to evacuate the kids and shut down the club,” a staff member remarked.
Local police, firefighters, and clubhouse staff worked together to safely escort the children, with some rescuers even carrying kids on their shoulders to ensure their safety.
“The kids were scared and it was really deep outside. We made sure they didn’t get wet,” one responder said.
As they made their way to safety, many children were calling out to their parents in nearby cars, understandably anxious about the situation.
Earlier that morning, Kerr County experienced severe flooding after the Guadalupe River rose sharply, leading to dangerous conditions.
In total, approximately 173 people are unaccounted for, nearly a week after significant flooding affected numerous downstream cabins, with 120 fatalities confirmed so far, including campers and counselors from a long-established girls’ camp.
Thankfully, all 50 children from the Boys & Girls Club were successfully evacuated and reunited with their guardians.
This past week, Oklahoma was one of several states hit by flash floods. New Mexico saw similar devastation, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Additionally, there are concerns of further flooding in North Carolina due to a recent tropical storm, which has already led to water rescues in southern Virginia.
Meanwhile, wildfires have also erupted in areas like California and Alaska, adding to the distressing weather events nationwide.
