Heavy Rain Is Unwanted Guests For Some Norman Homeowners

The doorsteps of some homes in Norman may be dry but debris was left behind thanks to Wednesday’s heavy rain.  

The people who live on Jenkins Avenue near West Timberdell Road had a moat in front of their homes instead of a street running through it.

Related: Major Flooding Causing Dangerous Roadways In Norman

“Inside is dry, thankfully, but I didn’t realize it would flood that much to where it would get to the door,” Norman resident Ryan Carter, whose welcome mat was covered in debris, said.

Carter and his neighbors woke up to waterfront property Wednesday morning as torrential rains pummeled Norman for the second time in as many days. 

“The back is probably the worst part,” Carter said. “I went out there earlier and just saw, like, it’s really flooded. I couldn’t really see anything as far as grass or anything. It was just water.”

Those homes aren’t the only ones along Jenkins Avenue hoping the inside of the homes stays dry.

“It’s been inching up over the lawn, over the sidewalk. I mean, my trash can. I have no idea where it floated away,” Norman resident A.J. Elmore said.

Elmore and her partner stood outside in the rain all morning to keep the inside of the homes on their block dry. 

“We have a giant, giant puddle outside of these houses. There’s a couple of storm drains, but they regularly get clogged,” Elmore said.

“Every time they drive by, most of the cars have been able to get through, but it sends a big wave of water into all of the property around here,” Norman resident Lennit Williams said.

They even got creative and made their own tool to help with the job. 

“This is just unscrewed from a broom,” Williams said, holding up the end of a broomstick. “That stuff builds up easily.”

Williams used it to clear the drains in hopes that the water recedes.

“There’s, like, gunk that builds up. Like, roots and leaves and dirt and who knows what else,” Williams said.

The Norman Fire Department said they rescued 10 people after their cars were stuck in high waters.