Dawn broke over scenes of devastation in several counties across Oklahoma on Sunday, with reports of severe structural damage, closed highways, blackouts, injuries and at least five deaths. There have been 35 reports of tornadoes overnight so far.
Twenty-seven million people remained at risk of severe weather into Sunday, including wind gusts, hail, flood risk and potentially more tornadoes.
Saturday’s severe weather came less than 36 hours after more than 100 tornadoes leveled homes and buildings in six states Friday, with Nebraska and Iowa being hit hardest, officials said.
The National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, confirmed late Saturday that multiple tornadoes were in its area, including one near Davenport and more than one in the area of Sulphur, a small town of about 5,000 people 80 miles south of Oklahoma City, which appeared to have taken the biggest hit.
On Sunday, the weather service’s Norman office said that, based on preliminary damage survey results, tornadoes with ratings of at least EF3 tore through Sulphur and Marietta in Oklahoma. The service said more investigation would be necessary to determine whether the rating will go higher.
The Murray County Emergency Management reported “significant damage” in Sulphur. In Love County, patients had to shelter during storms that damaged Marietta Hospital, though no injuries were reported, the county emergency management office said.
Also in Marietta, four semitrucks overturned, killing one person, after a tornado ripped through Interstate 35 on Saturday night, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
Oklahoma’s Office of Emergency Management confirmed three deaths, one near Marietta on I-35 and two others in Holdenville. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt arrived Sunday afternoon in Sulphur, where he said a fourth person died in the downtown area.
One of the Holdenville victims was 4 months old, Stitt’s press secretary said, citing Holdenville officials.
More than 170 storms were reported Saturday after days of severe weather. Storms were still expected through southern Missouri to southeast Texas on Sunday.
Flash flooding is also a concern for 18 million people from Kansas City to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Some flood warnings will continue into Monday.
Video emerging on social media early Sunday showed heavy damage across Sulphur, including toppled trees and scattered bricks and wooden beams. Buildings in the downtown area sustained significant structural damage, including blown-out windows and missing walls. Others appeared to have been leveled and reduced to rubble.
