Powerful winds, possible tornadoes cause injuries, damage in Oklahoma
At least a dozen people in Norman, Okla., suffered injuries and numerous homes were destroyed Sunday as strong winds and possible tornadoes ripped through multiple states in the region, officials said.
Emergency responders searched Monday for additional injured victims after the storms downed trees and power lines in Oklahoma, where winds were reported to reach 90 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service referenced reports of nine tornadoes across Oklahoma, Kansas and northwestern Texas. Officials in Norman — located about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City — said none of the 12 weather-related injuries were critical.
“I could hear the wind coming. All of a sudden all the back windows, where the kids bedrooms are, I could hear them just crashing, busting out,” Frances Tabler, a Norman resident who said she suffered a cut to her head, told the local news station KOCO. “I got up and then the wind just threw me back, and I’m screaming. It was just like a blizzard inside the house with all the debris flying. I was screaming for my kids.”
Multiple roads remained closed Monday in Norman and Shawnee, Okla. A recreation center in Norman was turned into a shelter and offered food for people displaced from their homes.
Authorities issued watches for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms throughout Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service, which reported a confirmed tornado in east Norman.
“We believe a tornado just passed by just to our south in southeast Norman,” NWS wrote in a later tweet. “We want everyone within tornado and severe warnings to continue to shelter until these storms pass by.”
At least one person suffered a minor injury and more than a dozen homes were damaged by a reported tornado in Liberal, Kansas, according to the news station KSNW.
“The power went out, I looked over and saw stuff flying toward the windows,” resident Joshua Volden told the TV outlet.
“There’s a hole on the outside of my house, and in my son’s room, there’s two fence boards stuck all the way through the wall.”
Wicked weather could next affect parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, where snow is in the forecast.
Last week, wintry weather caused widespread power outages, dangerous road conditions and hundreds of flight cancellations in the northern and western U.S.
With News Wire Services
