At least three tornadoes hit Oklahoma, at the same time, on Monday afternoon. The tornadoes destroyed homes and barns, overturned vehicles, and at least two people were killed.
According to NewsOK, forecasters predicted storms to be low on Monday. Nonetheless, the tornadoes still broke out.
The first tornado was reported after 4 pm in Garvin County, according to Keli Cain, the public information officer of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. The officer said that homes in the county were destroyed and damaged. She said that the Department does not know when the tornado may weaken.
Interstate 35 was closed by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers, in both directions, for 15 minutes. They were letting the storm cross the road. Houses were damaged in the area, between Interstate 35 and Elmore City.
Forecasters had declared a “tornado emergency” for communities in the tornado’s path, such as the communities of Roff, population 725, and Hickory, population 71.
Two people died
A man died when the tornado hit his house in Garvin County, officials in the county said. The man was in his upper 70s and lived near Wynnewood, in the south of Oklahoma City. According to Emergency Manager Bud Ramming, no one else was hurt, but around 4 house and a few barns were destroyed.
Another death was confirmed in Johnston County. Emergency Manager Jason Bryant said that the person died after being trapped in the rubble from a house in Connerville, in the southeast. He also said that there have been some injuries and homes were destroyed.
People’s statements
The storms destroyed a radio station building in Coal County, and also to several homes in Murray County, the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management reported.
A lady named Lisa Buckner heard about the tornado when she was on her way home. Took her dogs out of the house and went to her storm shelter. She said it sounded like a train. She waited for 15 to 20 minutes and went outside. She said her home was gone.
Her niece, who has been living in a trailer on her property, found her trailer overturned.
Trey Pierce, a 25-year-old man, was driving home when he saw the tornado coming towards him. He described it as a black wall.
Dana Lance was also driving home from work, in Roff, when she started hearing sirens and the forecasters on the radio told people to take shelter. She went to a school that has a safe room. She said that there were a lot of people, including kids, babies, elderly people, dogs and cats.
Charles Webb, in Hugo, near the Red River, said that he took his dogs and one of his cats in the laundry room and waited there for the storm to pass.
A cashier at the Love’s Travel Stop in Paul’s Valley named Jessica Randolph said that the managers at the store told the employees and customers to take shelter. They put everyone in the showers, according to Randolph. She said the tornado did not scare her because she was used to those situations.
Bad weather is predicted to return to the state on Wednesday. Forecasters say there is a 20 to 50 percent chance of severe storms.
Source: NewsOk