Since a Mesonet site was installed two miles southeast of Burneyville 15 years ago, the most rain it has recorded in a month was 12.01 inches in June 2004.
On Wednesday, that site had measured 11.63 inches by 8:15 p.m. and was still going up. The site's previous high for one day was 6.62 inches on April 28, 2006.
Leon resident Sierra Lee said it's the most water she's seen in her 16 years there.
"We have a little bridge down here. It's probably never been over three or four inches and the water is knee deep, and it snapped a bridge in half," she said.
John Becan said the main line that feeds the Falconhead water tower was washed out.
"What's left in the tower is all we're going to get, and that's been contaminated already because of the feed line," he said.
Other areas with significant rainfall included Altus, with 4.33 inches at 10 p.m., Waurika with 4.12 inches, Ringling with 4.48 inches and Madill with 6.64 inches.
Officials reported rainfall rates in excess of two inches per hour with the heaviest thunderstorms and warned that excessive runoff would cause flooding of small creeks and streams, country roads and farmland along the banks of waterways.
"That's been the focus today — the very heavy rains this morning and the flooding that went on across southern Oklahoma," said Rick Smith, a weather service meteorologist. "If we had our way, we'd like to spread this heavy rainfall out over days or weeks. It's unfortunate when it comes all at once."
A flash flood watch remained in effect until 7 a.m. today as a chance for more thunderstorms was expected overnight.
"With so much rain that's already fell in that area, it's not going to take much to cause runoff problems," Smith said.
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