Tornados in Oklahoma left a wide path of destruction over the weekend. Now the clean-up begins.
Multiple tornados formed in Oklahoma late Saturday night. Four people died. Hospitals across the state reported about 100 injuries. Those include people cut or struck by debris or hurt from falls, according to emergency teams.
The deadly weather in Oklahoma joined dozens of other tornados that wreaked havoc in the United States’ midsection starting Friday. Flood watches and warnings continued Sunday for Oklahoma and other states including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas.
In Sulphur, Oklahoma, a twister made rubble of many downtown buildings. It sheared roofs from houses within a 15-block radius.
“You just can’t believe the destruction,” Governor Kevin Stitt said during a visit to the town of about 5,000 people. “It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.”
Officials say the tornado in Sulphur began in a city park. It barreled through downtown, flipping cars and ripping roofs and walls off brick buildings. Windows and doors blew out of structures that remained standing.
Jackalyn Wright says the tornado sounded like a helicopter as it touched down over her and her family.
“How do you rebuild it? This is complete devastation,” says Kelly Trussell, a lifelong Sulphur resident. “It is crazy. You want to help but where do you start?”
Heavy rains swept in with the tornados. The rain caused dangerous flooding. Outside Sulphur, rising lake levels shut down the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Storms there wiped out a walking bridge.
Stitt declared a state of emergency in 12 counties on Sunday. As of late Sunday afternoon, officials said that more than 20,000 customers were still without power in Oklahoma.
Residents in other states are also digging out from storm damage. A tornado formed Friday afternoon near Lincoln, Nebraska. It hit an industrial building in the region, which collapsed with 70 people inside. Rescuers managed to free everyone. There were no life-threatening injuries.
Another tornado in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolished homes and businesses Saturday. It moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions. Then it slammed an Iowa town.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds spent Saturday touring the damage and arranging assistance for hard-hit areas. The governors of Nebraska and Oklahoma have already announced that their states will get help from the federal government.
Pray for God’s comfort for those harmed by the tornados.
