Friday's Idabel tornado classified as an EF4
The National Weather Service has classified the tornado that hit Idabel on Friday as an EF4. The tornado was the first EF4 to affect Oklahoma since 2016 and damaged more than 100 homes.
Experts categorize an Enhanced Fujita Scale 4 tornado as one that causes "devastating damage," with wind speeds estimated at 166-200 mph.
On Saturday, Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency for the following counties: Bryan, McCurtain, Choctaw and Le Flore.
McCurtain County, located in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, received the most damage as two tornadoes touched down about an hour apart in Idabel and Pickens, according to the McCurtain County Emergency Management office.
The EF4 tornado began in Texas, swept through southeastern McCurtain County and crossed over into Louisiana. It tracked 58 miles and carried wind speeds up to an estimated 170 mph, according to a Quick Response Team with the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
More:Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams aid Idabel tornado survivors
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Norman said ratings for a tornado are based on where it was most intense during its life cycle. The intensity may vary across state lines, but once it reaches an EF4 level somewhere along the tornado's track, it is classified as the same level in each state.
The second tornado was an EF2 and touched down in the northwest corner of McCurtain County. It tracked 2.9 miles with winds up to 125 mph according to the weather service. A 75-year-old man was killed in the EF2 tornado.
Keli Cain, spokesperson for the state’s Department of Emergency Management, told the Associated Press the man’s body was found at his home in the Pickens area of McCurtain County, about 36 miles north of Idabel.
"There were only 7 minor injures excluding the fatality, which in itself is a miracle," said Cody McDaniel, emergency management director for McCurtain County. "Our hearts are broken for the family who lost the loved one, but all warnings indicated we should have lost more."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tornado in Idabel, Oklahoma, classified as an EF4
