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| Tornado Strikes Oklahoma City Suburb | Tornado Strikes Oklahoma City Suburb |
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| OKLAHOMA CITY — A brief but destructive tornado struck the Oklahoma City suburb of El Reno late Saturday, demolishing a local motel and raising fears of fatalities just days after the area was hit by severe flooding. | OKLAHOMA CITY — A brief but destructive tornado struck the Oklahoma City suburb of El Reno late Saturday, demolishing a local motel and raising fears of fatalities just days after the area was hit by severe flooding. |
| The tornado hit El Reno, a largely rural suburb of nearly 17,000 about 25 miles west of Oklahoma City, around 11 p.m. Saturday, the latest round of severe weather in Oklahoma. Officials said the extent of the damage and the number of injuries were still being determined. They did not immediately confirm reports on social media of fatalities. | The tornado hit El Reno, a largely rural suburb of nearly 17,000 about 25 miles west of Oklahoma City, around 11 p.m. Saturday, the latest round of severe weather in Oklahoma. Officials said the extent of the damage and the number of injuries were still being determined. They did not immediately confirm reports on social media of fatalities. |
| One local television news reporter, Aaron Brilbeck from the CBS affiliate News 9, said on Twitter, “I’m in El Reno. I was just in a tornado. I’m ok but the hotel across the street from us was leveled. Victims are being pulled from the rubble.” | One local television news reporter, Aaron Brilbeck from the CBS affiliate News 9, said on Twitter, “I’m in El Reno. I was just in a tornado. I’m ok but the hotel across the street from us was leveled. Victims are being pulled from the rubble.” |
| Oklahoma emergency management officials said a command post had been set up near the epicenter of the tornado strike, near Interstate 40 in El Reno. Keli Cain, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said the tornado had hit the motel and also a trailer park. | Oklahoma emergency management officials said a command post had been set up near the epicenter of the tornado strike, near Interstate 40 in El Reno. Keli Cain, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said the tornado had hit the motel and also a trailer park. |
| She said it was too early to confirm any reports of fatalities. “We have people from our office there now, but they are in a rescue operation and haven’t passed on any information like that to us,” Ms. Cain said. | She said it was too early to confirm any reports of fatalities. “We have people from our office there now, but they are in a rescue operation and haven’t passed on any information like that to us,” Ms. Cain said. |
| Oklahoma has been rocked by scattered tornadoes and heavy rainfall in recent days. The storms have flooded the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, forcing officials to release large amounts of water from the Keystone Dam. But none of the tornadoes that touched down had caused major damage or fatalities in residential areas until the one that hit El Reno late Saturday. | Oklahoma has been rocked by scattered tornadoes and heavy rainfall in recent days. The storms have flooded the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, forcing officials to release large amounts of water from the Keystone Dam. But none of the tornadoes that touched down had caused major damage or fatalities in residential areas until the one that hit El Reno late Saturday. |
| The tornado had eerie timing: It struck a few days before the six-year anniversary of one of the worst tornadoes to ever hit El Reno. On May 31, 2013, an unusually wide EF-3 tornado — the fourth-strongest on the enhanced Fujita scale, with an EF-5 being the most powerful — tore through the El Reno area and killed eight people. Among those who died were three storm chasers, including Tim Samaras, who was known for his appearances on the reality television show “Storm Chasers.” |