After days of storms in the midwest, the Arkansas River reached 45.86 feet, just under the 1943 record of 48.3 feet.

Oklahoma and Arkansas were bracing Monday for their worst-ever flooding as a new wave of storms forecast to roll through the region threatened to further bloat the Arkansas River that already has reached record crests in some areas.

Tornadoes, high winds, hail and heavy rain were possible across the region, forecasters said. The storms are the latest to rip through the Midwest over the last two weeks, leaving at least nine dead and a trail of damage from high winds and flooding.

In Tulsa, the Oklahoma National Guard was patrolling Tulsa's stressed levee system. 

"The levee system is still operating as designed," Mayor G.T. Bynum said Monday. But he said that could change. "We are asking for everyone to prepare for the worst-case scenario ... the worst flood in our history."

Bynum urged residents near the levees to "proactively relocate," and the city has opened multiple shelters. He said authorities were reviewing how such flooding would impact the city's infrastructure. 

The river is forecast to reach a record crest Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Tulsa increased its releases of water from the Keystone Dam, adding to the woes downstream in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where the river already surpassed its historic crest Sunday.

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