Tornadoes destroy homes, injure at least 13 in Oklahoma
At least 29 tornado sightings have been reported across the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and in Oklahoma, with multiple homes destroyed in Oklahoma
AP, Oklahoma City :
Authorities are set to survey the damage left behind after tornadoes swept across the southern Plains, overturning cars and destroying dozens of homes near Oklahoma City.
At least 13 people were injured, but no deaths were immediately reported from the twisters that also hit rural parts of Texas, Kansas and Nebraska on Wednesday night.
“We’ll have much better picture of how widespread the damage is when the sun comes up tomorrow,” meteorologist Forrest Mitchell with the National Weather Service in Norman said.
The Oklahoma City area seemed to be the hardest hit. A twister destroyed homes in Grady County, southwest of the city, and it appeared another tornado touched down in the area later Wednesday evening when a second storm came through.
“We do strongly think there was a tornado on the south side of Oklahoma City,” meteorologist Michael Scotten said after the second storm that hit around 8:40 p.m.
That storm flipped vehicles on Interstate 35 and left power lines strewn across the roadway, Scotten said.
Lara O’Leary, a spokeswoman for Emergency Medical Services Authority, said late Wednesday that the company transported 13 patients from a trailer park in south Oklahoma City to local hospitals. She did not have further details about the extent of the patients’ injuries.
Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson said about 10 homes were destroyed in Amber and 25 were destroyed in Bridge Creek. As the storm moved to the east, forecasters declared a tornado emergency for Moore, where seven schoolchildren were among 24 people killed in a storm two years ago.
Authorities are set to survey the damage left behind after tornadoes swept across the southern Plains, overturning cars and destroying dozens of homes near Oklahoma City.
At least 13 people were injured, but no deaths were immediately reported from the twisters that also hit rural parts of Texas, Kansas and Nebraska on Wednesday night.
“We’ll have much better picture of how widespread the damage is when the sun comes up tomorrow,” meteorologist Forrest Mitchell with the National Weather Service in Norman said.
The Oklahoma City area seemed to be the hardest hit. A twister destroyed homes in Grady County, southwest of the city, and it appeared another tornado touched down in the area later Wednesday evening when a second storm came through.
“We do strongly think there was a tornado on the south side of Oklahoma City,” meteorologist Michael Scotten said after the second storm that hit around 8:40 p.m.
That storm flipped vehicles on Interstate 35 and left power lines strewn across the roadway, Scotten said.
Lara O’Leary, a spokeswoman for Emergency Medical Services Authority, said late Wednesday that the company transported 13 patients from a trailer park in south Oklahoma City to local hospitals. She did not have further details about the extent of the patients’ injuries.
Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson said about 10 homes were destroyed in Amber and 25 were destroyed in Bridge Creek. As the storm moved to the east, forecasters declared a tornado emergency for Moore, where seven schoolchildren were among 24 people killed in a storm two years ago.
