On March 4-5, a front progressed slightly northward and an upper level system triggered a round of thunderstorms mainly during the afternoon and evening of March 4.  The focus of the very heavy rainfall was along a 100-mile wide swath along and northwest of Interstate 44 from southwestern through central and north central Oklahoma.  Rainfall amounts of 2.5 to 5 inches were common with locally heavier amounts up to 8 inches observed in Kingfisher and Blaine counties. A second smaller band of heavy precipitation also fell over northwestern Oklahoma from near Gage to near Freedom Oklahoma. Rainfall totals of 2.5 to 5 inches were observed across this area.The areas most affected by the heavy rains were in the Cimarron River basin in central Oklahoma, including the Cimarron River mainstem and specific tributaries of the Cimarron River in Kingfisher and Logan counties. Storm total precipitation amounts for the March 4-5 event ranged from 3 to 6+ inches over Kingfisher and northern Logan counties with a few totals of 7 to 8 inches reported in southwestern Kingfisher County. The heavy rains produced flash flooding along Kingfisher Creek west of the city of Kingfisher during the late afternoon hours of March 4. The flash flooding along Kingfisher Creek stranded two motorists on OK State Highway 33 about 3 miles west of Kingfisher, and water rescues of these individuals were performed by the Kingfisher Fire Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The two persons were subsequently treated for injuries including hypothermia.The heavy runoff along Kingfisher Creek and its tributaries eventually produced flooding in the City of Kingfisher beginning at about 6:00 pm CST on March 4, and eventually blocked U.S. Highway 81 in north Kingfisher by 9 pm CST, and Oklahoma State Highway 33 by 10 pm CST. Kingfisher Creek crested at 23.5 feet, 3.5 feet above flood stage, during the early morning hours of March 5. This crest was the ninth highest crest of record since the mid 1940s. During the event Uncle John Creek also crested one foot below flood stage on the east side of the City of Kingfisher during the late evening hours of March 4.Kingfisher emergency management officials declared a state of emergency and evacuated about 30 residents during the evening of March 4. Officials also reported that 140 privately owned structures incurred flood damage including 87 single-family homes; 12 mobile homes, 37 businesses; 3 churches; and, 4 apartment units. Floodwaters reached depths of 2 to 5 feet in residences inundated by Kingfisher Creek. U.S. Highway 81 and OK State Highway 33 did not reopen until the evening of March 5.Floodwaters along a small tributary of the Cimarron River 2 miles north of Kingfisher Creek and the City of Kingfisher eroded a railroad track, and caused the derailment of a Union Pacific train at about 5:15 am CST on March 5. Two locomotives and 13 cars of the 32-car train were derailed, and one of the damaged railroad cars, which was filled with automobiles, caught fire after the accident. A nearly 800-foot length of railroad track had to be replaced by the Union Pacific Railroad. Three Union Pacific employees were briefly stranded by the floodwaters, and were eventually rescued and treated for minor injuries, including hypothermia.Heavy runoff into the Cimarron River in Kingfisher County caused it to crest at flood stage at the OK State Highway 51 Bridge 9 miles east of Okeene, and 2.3 feet above flood stage at the U.S. Highway 81 Bridge 2 miles south of Dover on March 5. Other tributaries of the Cimarron River in Kingfisher County also flooded from about 3 pm CST on March 4 through about 6 am CST on March 5. Turkey Creek overflowed its banks 2 miles west of Hennessey, overtopping OK State Highway 51 at 4 pm CST on March 4. Little Turkey Creek south of Hennessey also flooded during the afternoon and evening of March 4, and local residents also reported that Lyon Creek had flooded in northeastern Kingfisher County. Numerous secondary roads near all of these creeks were flooded.Logan County and southern Garfield County were also plagued by moderate to major flooding, which occurred mainly along Skeleton Creek. Storm total precipitation amounts of 4 to 6 inches were observed in the area, and generating tremendous runoff and resulting in flash flooding and flooding. At the USGS river gage site 3 miles east of Lovell, OK on OK State Highway 74, Skeleton Creek rose above a flood stage of 35 feet at 4:30 pm CST on March 4 and did not fall below flood stage until 2 am CST on March 6. Skeleton Creek crested at 44.5 feet, 9.5 feet above flood stage at 3 am CST on March 5, making it the fifth highest crest of record. A USGS technician reported that the floodwaters covered Highway 74 to a depth of 0.5 feet during the crest.Reports from local residents indicated that flood depths of 8 to 10 feet were common along Skeleton Creek in Logan County during the crest, and numerous secondary roads and large areas of croplands were inundated by the floodwaters. Otter Creek had also flooded just east of OK State Highway 74 and upstream of its confluence with Skeleton Creek near Lovell during this period, washing out a culvert approximately 5 miles east-northeast of Lovell.The high flows from upstream locations on the Cimarron River and from Skeleton Creek helped produce minor to moderate flooding along the Cimarron River in Payne County from the late evening hours of March 4 through the evening hours on March 6. The Cimarron River crested at 23 feet or 6 feet above flood stage at 2:30 am CST on March 6.  A report from a Logan County emergency management official indicated that widespread flooding of secondary roads and croplands along the Cimarron River occurred during this period in the Pleasant Valley area, or about 5 miles northwest of Coyle, OK. High flows also produced bank erosion along the Twin Lakes community on the north bank of the Cimarron River, just east of the Kingfisher-Logan County line, making one housing structure uninhabitable.In Kay and Grant counties, heavy rains caused moderate flooding along the Chikaskia River and minor flooding along the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River on March 4-6. The Chikaskia River near Blackwell, OK crested at 31.9 feet or 2.9 feet above flood stage at 9 pm CST on March 5. Several roads were closed in and near Blackwell including Hubbard Road and U.S. Highway 177, and floodwaters covered streets in northeastern and eastern sections of Blackwell. The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River crested at 19.4 feet or 2.4 feet above flood stage at 3:30 pm CST on March 5 at the river gage site at Tonkawa, OK. The Salt Fork Bridge on U.S. Highway 156 southwest of Ponca City and U.S. Highway 177 south of Ponca City were flooded on March 5 during the crest on the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. In addition, Grant County emergency management officials reported some minor flood damage in the area, and local roads in and near the town of Jefferson, OK were inundated by floodwaters from Pond and Osage Creeks during this time.Other flood reports of note:Harper, Woods and northern Woodward counties: Heavy rainfall totaling 3 to 5+ inches produced minor flooding along the Cimarron River near Waynoka, OK where a crest of 8.4 feet (0.4 feet above flood stage) was observed at 9:30 am CST on March 5.Southern Blaine, Northern Caddo and western Canadian counties: Storm total precipitation amounts of 2.5 to 6+ inches produced minor flooding along the North Canadian River at the river gage sites near Watonga and Calumet, OK. Moderate flooding occurred along the Canadian River near Bridgeport, OK where a crest of 16.2 feet (2.2 feet above flood stage) was observed at 2:00 am CST on March 5. Residents living along the Canadian River in southern Blaine County reported that river rose 6 feet near the town of Geary, OK.Lincoln County: The Deep Fork River near Warwick, OK briefly flooded on the afternoon of March 4, cresting 16.9 feet, or 0.9 feet above flood stage at 5:00 pm CST.Alfalfa County: Emergency management officials reported that OK State Highway 11 was closed due to flooding on March 4-5, and that numerous roads and bridges had sustained heavy damage. No details are available at this time.Greer, Kiowa, Jackson and Tillman Counties: Rainfall totals of 2 to 4+ inches in Greer and Kiowa Counties produced minor flooding along the North Fork of the Red River in southwestern Oklahoma. The river crested at 15.6 feet (1.6 feet above flood stage) at the river gage site 2 miles east of Headrick, OK. Heavy rains and runoff also produced a crest within a half-foot of flood stage along the Salt Fork of the Red River near Mangum, OK during the afternoon of March 4.

Flood in BLAINE, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in CADDO, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flash Flood in KINGFISHER, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 13:30:00 to 04-MAR-04 18:30:00 (CST)
Location: KINGFISHER
Property damage: 65K
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Storm total precipitation amounts for the March 4-5 event ranged from 3 to 6+ inches over Kingfisher County with a few totals of 7 to 8 inches reported in the southwestern portions of the county. The heavy rains produced flash flooding along Kingfisher Creek west of the city of Kingfisher during the late afternoon hours of March 4. The flash flooding along Kingfisher Creek stranded two motorists on OK State Highway 33 about 3 miles west of Kingfisher, and water rescues of these individuals were performed by the Kingfisher Fire Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The two persons were subsequently treated for injuries including hypothermia.

Flood in HARPER, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Property damage: 1M
Crop damage: 250K
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in ALFALFA, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in CANADIAN, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in GARFIELD, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in GRANT, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in GREER, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in KAY, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in KINGFISHER, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in KIOWA, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in LINCOLN, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in LOGAN, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in PAYNE, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in TILLMAN, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in WOODS, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flood in WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 16:30:00 to 06-MAR-04 06:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Flash Flood in NOBLE, OKLAHOMA
From 04-MAR-04 14:30:00 to 04-MAR-04 18:30:00 (CST)
Location: PERRY
Property damage: 25K
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

A report from the public indicated that flash flooding had occurred during the afternoon hours of March 4, and that some local roads had washed away and trees had been uprooted by floodwaters near Perry, OK.