Conclusion
Since the 1980s, Tulsa's stormwater management system (much of it still being built) has not been tested by a massive storm. But a number of moderately large rainfalls have occurred, with few or no major problems.
- A Mother's Day 1993 rain, for example, a was comparable to the Mother's Day 1970 storm. In 1970, the community experienced major flooding; in 1993, virtually no damage occurred.
- In May of 1993, the Corps again had to release large amounts of water from Keystone Reservoir, this time up to 140,000 cubic feet per second. Although these discharges were half those released during the 1986 flood, they nonetheless carried potential for downstream flooding. Emergency managers evacuated some areas outside the City of Tulsa and battled problems along the Tulsa levee, including several malfunctioning flap gates. This time, however, emergency management and intergovernmental coordination worked well, building on teamwork founded in previous crises, and no serious flood damages occurred.
- Other moderate rainstorms have occurred that previously would have caused some flooding in Tulsa --- but the system handled them without major incident.
Another significant indicator is that the city has no record of flood damage to any structure built in accord with regulations adopted in the late 1970s.
City hydrologists believe Tulsa's flood-damage vulnerability has been much reduced because of its aggressive and comprehensive approach to flood and stormwater management. The city has not attempted to develop any dollar estimate of damages averted.
One things is certain: houses cleared from Tulsa floodplains have not flooded again and will not flood again. Without question, some would have sustained repeated damage if they had not been moved from harm's way.
- In 1987 and 1992, Tulsa received top awards from the 500-member Association of State Floodplain Managers, which plans to hold its national convention in Tulsa in 1994.
- In 1992, the city's flood program received the nation's highest rating in the National Flood Insurance Program's community rating system --- allowing Tulsans to enjoy the lowest flood insurance rates in the U.S.
- In July 1992, FEMA selected Tulsa for its Outstanding Public Service Award because of the city's "significant contributions and distinguished leadership" to the nation in floodplain management. No discussion of this subject would be complete, however, without a warning:
Tulsa will flood again.
- Tulsans live in tornado alley, a land of freak storms.
- Much of the system is still being built.
- And the Tulsa system is largely based on the federal 100-year flood standard. Larger rains --- and flood damages --- will occur.
But, when the inevitable next flood occurs, danger and damage should be lessened because of lessons learned --- the hard way --- in crafting Tulsa's flood-hazard mitigation program.