Record rainfall shocked Oklahoma City this week, as residents ran for treetops and roofs to escape flash flooding. The flooding prompted many daring rescues by local authorities, with 136 reported injuries and one death.

Miguel Lopez, 50, was found dead against a bridge spanning a canal in nearby Lawton, Oklahoma. Comanche County Emergency Management Director Chris Killmer told AP that Lopez was swept by swift-moving floodwater when he tried to push his stalled car off the road.

While Lopez was the only reported death, fire officials in the Oklahoma City area logged more than 60 rescues after more than ten inches of rain were dumped in a few hours.

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The National Weather Service said that the 7.62 inches of rain recorded at nearby Will Rogers International Airport topped a record of 7.53 inches set  on September 22, 1970.

Local news in Oklahoma was full of hair raising scenes, as creeks and rivers overflowed, manhole covers blew from streets and asphalt washed away from streets and highways.

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One fire crew sank their rescue boat while trying to rescue a 17 year-old girl and were forced to climb trees until other rescuers could find them.

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Flash flooding can happen in an instant and less than a foot of water is enough to sweep a person, or even a car away. Do you know what to do if you are caught in a flash flood? Read Ryan Campbell's Flooding For Rookies.