The floods typically caused widespread property damage and sometimes death. However, by the turn of the 20th century the population growth had moved closer to the river, and the flatlands west of the Arkansas had begun to develop as well. Thus, elevation protected most of the inhabitants and their possessions from damage when the river flooded. The city was founded atop a bluff on the Arkansas River. The combination of topographic and climatic factors in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area have frequently caused major flash flooding, especially near streams that normally drain the area.
