![]() ![]() Mandatory evacuations are in place for Webbers Falls as engineers continue to assess the situation. I-40 and Highway 64 remain closed Thursday morning due to the incident. ODOT closed I-40 and Highway 64 Wednesday due to fears that the barges would break through the dam on the Arkansas River and cause catastrophic flooding. We’re told the barges were carrying fertilizer. The force of the rushing watch caused the second barge to give way and sink as well.įortunately, it looks as though the integrity of the dam is still intact. The two barges struck the dam, which caused one of the barges to immediately sink. ![]() on Thursday, the barges were seen heading straight for the dam near Webbers Falls. However, the barges somehow broke loose from the rocks as crews tried to secure them on Thursday. They were still tied together and were stuck on a rock jetty. Initially, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Facebook that the barges were located several miles upstream from Webbers Falls Lock and Dam 16. Officials became worried that the barges would hit the dam, which was already under strain from the flood waters. The situation became even worse when authorities learned that the flooding caused two barges on the Arkansas River to become unsecured. If you choose to stay you are doing so at your own risk,” officials wrote on Facebook. “Residents in the Town of Webbers Falls need to evacuate immediately. On Wednesday afternoon, emergency management officials in eastern Oklahoma asked residents to completely evacuate the town due to dangers associated with flooding. Two barges that broke free along the Arkansas River have struck the dam near Webbers Falls. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. The disaster spurred the addition of motorist warning systems along interstate bridges and construction of pier protections.This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Someone leaned a stuffed toy against the panel for the youngest victim, 3-year-old Shae Johnson of Lavaca, who died with her parents, Jim and Misty Johnson. Game Warden (County): (918) 625-4873 (Muskogee) (918) 625-4691 (Muskogee) Impounded in 1970, Webbers Falls is the uppermost pool on the Arkansas River designated for navigation. Behind the main platform stand five pillars for the survivors.įamily members placed single yellow roses next to the panels containing names of their loved ones. The phone number for Webber Falls Municipal Court is 91 and the fax number is 91. ![]() The court address is PO Box 179, Webber Falls, OK 74470. A platform with granite panels etched with the names of the dead supports a piece of girder from the bridge topped with a bronze statue of a girl releasing a dove. Webber Falls Municipal Court is located in Muskogee county in Oklahoma. Titled "Going Home," the memorial was built with $120,000 from the Federal Highway Administration and $30,000 in private donations. The site honors the dead, the five survivors and the state and area firefighters, police officers, emergency workers and volunteers who answered the call for help. One year later on Memorial Day, about 300 people gathered in Webbers Falls' riverside park to witness the dedication of a memorial. The fishermen sped to the bridge to help survivors, but too many cars were submerged. Fourteen people died, including three Arkansans.Īnglers competing in a Jimmy Houston fishing tournament witnessed vehicle after vehicle launching off the bridge. The barges struck a pier supporting the Interstate 40 bridge at Webbers Falls, and a 580-foot section of the bridge collapsed into the river. Vanwoorhies, John A., Officer Police Force, 27 Erie st. The towboat captain was unconscious, his heart wrenched by abnormal rhythms. 65 Black Hawk, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, do do 66 Union Band, Moneek, Winneshiek co Wedn. Love was pushing two barges when it drifted out of the shipping channel on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System in Oklahoma. During a storm on May 26, 2002, the towboat Robert Y. Webbers Falls Police Departments WEBBERS FALLS POLICE DEPT This information is provided for non-emergency use. ![]()
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