Remembering the deadly flood of 1973 in northern Oklahoma
By Bryan Painter
ENID— Relentless rains turned to horror.
People fled to attics and then cut holes to reach the roof. Currents of water stacked cars atop one another and boats navigated the streets in rescue efforts.
Nine people died.
This week marks the 39th anniversary of the most rainfall in one day in Oklahoma — 15.68 inches at Enid, said Gary McManus, assistant state climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. Some say 75 percent of the rain fell in about four hours.
It is referred to as the Oct. 11, 1973, Enid flood. The rain actually began the previous evening (Oct. 10) and continued into the dark, deadly morning hours.
That was the official reported rainfall, but unofficial amounts within the county approached 20 inches.
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I survived that flood with my family. I was 10 years old at the time and we were lucky enough to escape to the roof of our home. Fortunately the family across the street got their ski boat out of the garage and spent most of that evening rescuing people off their homes (including mine). We resided in the Brookside Edition in Enid.