15 rescued as storms bring flooding and lightning fire to Cherokee County, Oklahoma

The Tahlequah Fire Department responded to the incident near Spring Creek near Peggs Community in northern Cherokee County on Sunday.

Law enforcement officials at the scene reported that 15 people had been stranded while camping.

“Rescue boats were needed to safely reach the camp site, an estimated quarter of a mile away from the nearest accessible county road,” Tahlequah Fire Department said.

Earlier, lightning from the same storm system caused a fire in the chimney area of a home in the area. Smoke had already filled the home by the time the firefighters arrived.

Crews spent several hours extinguishing the source of the fire in the chimney area and conducting salvage and overhaul.

“Tahlequah Fire Department responded to the home during a strong storm system that brought lightning and heavy rains to the area overnight Saturday into Sunday,” the fire department said.

Prior to that, firefighters had conducted multiple swift water rescues on Friday, June 12, after flash floods stranded vehicles and inundated homes.

“All of the rescue calls occurred in a short timeframe after midnight – within a window of approximately 30 minutes – within the city limits. Firefighters also took a rescue boat and joined other area first responders in Hulbert, where a driver became stranded in fast-rising water,” the department reported.

Rishav Kothari

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

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