Spring Storms

Buzzards waiting along the river

Verdigris River with some of the bank eroded

Early May brought some severe storms with flooding rains, tornado warnings and high winds along one storm front reaching 75-80 mph. We spent a good week repairing a water line (the faucet was taken out by storm debris skipping across the yard) and cleaning up storm debris. Some local roads were flooded making local travel a challenge. 

 

                    

                     Highway 10 looking east

     

  

                    

Highway 10 flooded

Flooded field south of Highway 10

The Verdigris River overflowed its banks scouring the banks, taking earth and trees with it and deposited trees and fish elsewhere along the adjacent fields and woodlands. A main water line serving this area crosses the river and was taken out of commission by trees rushing down the river.  I would like to have taken a picture of all the carp and gar deposited on what should be dry land but, by the time I went back with a camera, the stench was so strong inside the truck that I didn't have the stomach to get out to take photos. 

River bank washed out

Roadway collapsed into river

Small corn plants mark the old edge of the field
with half of the roadway washed away

Driving into the corn field as half of the roadway is gone

This area did not collapse until a couple of days after
the storm and after the river had crested. 

Corn fields were flooded.
With water levels so high, some of the wheat
was flooded and left with a coating of mud on the plants

Buzzards waiting . . . they feasted on the fish
that were washed over the river banks

Imagine how high the river got, and the force
of the water required, to move all of these trees up
onto the adjacent roadway

We've cleaned up, repaired damage, replanted corn that did not make it. It's hard to believe that just a few weeks after having flooding rains, it's now dry here and the corn needs rain. Wheat harvest is fast approaching as is soybean planting. Hoping for a good growing season.