Oklahoma storms injure at least 11 and leave thousands without power
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[November 04, 2024]
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Severe storms and tornadoes battered
Oklahoma early Sunday, tossing cars and ripping roofs off buildings in
the middle of the night and leaving tens of thousands of homes and
businesses without power. Among numerous injuries, 11 people required
hospitalization, authorities said.
Much of the damage was reported in and around the state capital of
Oklahoma City, near the state's center, but also scattered elsewhere
around the state. The early morning storms set off tornado warnings that
extended south to the Arkansas state line. Heavy rains caused flash
flooding in some areas and one lightning-sparked house fire was
reported.
More than 99,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses lost power during the
overnight storms. By late Sunday afternoon, that number was reduced to
around 24,000. No fatalities had been reported.
Richard Thompson, forecast chief for the National Weather Service Storm
Prediction Center in Oklahoma, said he believes six or more tornadoes
hit the state overnight. Meanwhile, forecasters warned state residents
to brace for more heavy rain and possible severe weather through Monday.
“We're not done with it yet,” he said.
A tornado watch for much of the central and southeast part of Oklahoma
was in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday. Other areas were under thunderstorm
or flood watches.
In the town of Choctaw, east of Oklahoma City, firefighters and police
officers went door to door Sunday morning to ask about injuries.
“It leveled a complete neighborhood in Choctaw,” the town’s mayor, Chad
Allcox, told The Associated Press. He added that debris hindered search
and rescue efforts. “Power lines are down everywhere ... a lot of the
roads are blocked, hard to get through. Very large trees blocking
roadways.”
Oklahoma City Fire Department spokesman Scott Douglas told the AP that
heavy rain and the lingering threat of tornadoes in the early morning
darkness complicated early search and rescue efforts. He described a
first sweep of hard-hit areas around 1:30 a.m.
“It was a heavy downpour. We were trying to sweep the area with another
possibility of a tornado coming through," he said. "So that was in the
back of our minds, too.”
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A women stands outside a damaged home after a tornado hit the area
in Oklahoma City, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman
via AP)
Emergency workers had to free two people from an overturned mobile
home, including a woman injured when an air conditioner landed on
her leg, Douglas said.
The scale of the damage came into focus as daylight broke. Local
television footage showed downed power lines, walls peeled off
homes, overturned vehicles and neighborhood streets littered with
debris.
Douglas said 11 people were transported to hospitals with injuries
that were not life-threatening. "There were some other minor
injuries, some walking wounded, that were going to get treatment on
their own,” Douglas said.
Allcox said early weather warnings and tornado sirens likely saved
lives.
A handful of shelters — including one opened at a casino by the
American Red Cross — are available for displaced residents or those
without power, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.
The Oklahoma Heart Hospital South also sustained damage, state
health officials said.
At the University of Oklahoma, school officials had urged students
and staff to seek shelter and move to the lowest floor as storms
approached the campus after midnight. The National Weather Service
office in Norman also issued urgent warnings, posting on social
media: “If you’re in the path of this storm, take cover
immediately!”
Parts of Oklahoma remained at risk for more heavy rainfall and
thunderstorms later Sunday.
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Associated Press reporters Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Jackie
Quinn in Washington contributed.
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