Sand Springs Residents Still Cleaning Up 2 Months After Historic Floods

Two months after historic flooding caused damage across Green Country, many Sand Springs residents are still working to repair their homes. Some homes are abandoned while residents are working to salvage what they can from other homes.

Lanny Watson and his wife have lived in their Sand Springs home for 43 years. Their home has now survived two historic floods, one in 1986 and in 2019.

“The first flood the water came in on Saturday, was going down on Sunday and was out on Monday,” said Watson. “This flood was worse in the fact that we moved out on the 22nd and then when the water got in the house it was there for six days.”

Two months ago, Lanny remembers carrying his furniture out of his home while water started coming up his driveway. And now, he’s still not back in his home.

“Time flies when you're having fun, if you call it fun,” said Watson.

Tulsa County surveyed all the homes in the area so people could get permits to start working on their homes.

Normally this costs $500 to $1,000 per home, but the county was able to do them for $50 and fronted all the costs for homeowners.

“In some jurisdictions it would be two or three months before you even get a permit and so we are trying to do one day turn around,” said Deputy Commissioner John Fothergill.

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Deputy Commissioner Fothergill says the county has spent about $600,000 dollars in flood repair in the Sand Springs area, and they are happy with the progress they've made so far.

He says they haven’t filed with FEMA yet but are planning to do so soon.

But Lanny says he's especially grateful for people like his church family, who have been there for him every step of the way.

"When I needed people, the Lord put the person I needed right in front of me to give me advice or to help me with what I needed to do,” said Watson.

Once more homes get repaired - the city will start fixing roads in the neighborhood that were damaged by standing water.

Town and Country was one of the first neighborhoods hit when the Arkansas River came over its banks, and some are very close to getting back into their homes. Some families say they are on the tail end of it while others are still in the construction process. There are still a lot of work trucks and construction vehicles filling the Sand Springs neighborhood.

Tulsa County surveyed all of the homes in the area so people could get permits to start working on their homes. Normally this costs $500 to $1,000 dollars per home, but the county was able to do them for $50 apiece and fronted all the costs for homeowners.

One homeowner says after two months of living in his camper, he hopes to be back in his own home soon.

"We're two months into it, and I think if everything continues to go the way that it is we are going to be done in less than two more months," said Lanny Watson.