Oklahoma has more than its fair share of wild and crazy weather.
We live with tornadoes, blizzards, hail and increasingly oppresive heat and humidity. But do you remember when there was a hurricane over Oklahoma?
The people of Watonga do.
In 2007 a tropical storm named Erin formed in the Gulf of Mexico came ashore near Corpus Christi, Texas. With sustained winds of only 30 mph Erin was not a notable storm.
But as Erin proceeded across Texas towards the Red River something strange happened. Typically these storms wither once they are over land because the ocean is their heat source. As Erin passed through southwestern Oklahoma it gained strength and actually formed an eye… like a hurricane!
Okay, so technically it wasn’t a hurricane. But it sure looked like one. It acted like one too!
Sustained winds near Watonga measured 54 mph on August 19, 2007. By definition a hurricane has winds of 74 mph or greater. The Watonga airport registered a gust of 82 mph, then stopped reporting. As the system poured down rain on Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri it caused substantial flooding and was responsible for 16 deaths.
In Watonga the aftermath didn’t stop there.
Today we all know Watonga as the home of the very first Love’s Country Store. Well… maybe you didn’t. But the little town used to be a big cheese.
Unfortunately the powerful winds of Erin leveled the Watonga Cheese Factory, a local staple since 1940 and the only such dairy facility in Oklahoma. The annual Watonga Cheese Festival lives on, but sadly the cheese factory eventually moved to Texas. Where the hurricane came from.
