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| Oklahoma: two dead after possible tornado as storms death toll climbs | Oklahoma: two dead after possible tornado as storms death toll climbs |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Officials said two people died after a possible tornado destroyed a motel and swept through a mobile home park in the Oklahoma City area. | Officials said two people died after a possible tornado destroyed a motel and swept through a mobile home park in the Oklahoma City area. |
| Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is the climate crisis to blame? | Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is the climate crisis to blame? |
| At a news conference on Sunday, El Reno’s mayor, Matt White, said: “There have been two fatalities at this point in time.” He said officials were working to notify relatives and search and rescue efforts were continuing. | |
| The National Weather Service (NWS) said a possible tornado caused damage. Meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman said the suspected twister hit El Reno on Saturday night as a powerful storm system rolled through the state. Crews would assess the damage on Sunday to determine the severity of the storm, he said. | The National Weather Service (NWS) said a possible tornado caused damage. Meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman said the suspected twister hit El Reno on Saturday night as a powerful storm system rolled through the state. Crews would assess the damage on Sunday to determine the severity of the storm, he said. |
| The storm came after a week of tornados, severe rain and flooding in southern plains and midwest states, including a tornado that hit Jefferson City, Missouri. The region’s most recent spate of bad weather and flooding has been blamed for at least nine deaths. | The storm came after a week of tornados, severe rain and flooding in southern plains and midwest states, including a tornado that hit Jefferson City, Missouri. The region’s most recent spate of bad weather and flooding has been blamed for at least nine deaths. |
| In Tulsa on Sunday, authorities in Oklahoma’s second-largest city advised residents of some neighborhoods to consider leaving for higher ground because the Arkansas river is stressing the city’s old levee system. | |
| Downriver, about 100 miles south-east of Tulsa in Arkansas’ second-largest city, Fort Smith, authorities said 100 to 200 people had already evacuated their homes due to flooding, which was expected to get worse in the coming days. | |
| In El Reno, the American Budget Value Inn was destroyed. Images from the scene showed emergency crews sifting through rubble after part of the second story collapsed into a pile of debris strewn about the first floor and parking lot. Elsewhere, overturned cars and twisted metal could be seen briefly as intermittent lightning flashed across the sky and the wailing sirens of approaching emergency vehicles were heard in the distance. | |
| Trailers at the Skyview Estates mobile home park adjacent to the motel also were damaged, as was part of a nearby car dealership. | Trailers at the Skyview Estates mobile home park adjacent to the motel also were damaged, as was part of a nearby car dealership. |
| “We have absolutely experienced a traumatic event,” White said in a news conference earlier. White said several people were transported to hospitals in Oklahoma City, but did not give an exact number. | “We have absolutely experienced a traumatic event,” White said in a news conference earlier. White said several people were transported to hospitals in Oklahoma City, but did not give an exact number. |
| “We’re doing a search and rescue right now ... we have all hands on deck,” he said. | “We’re doing a search and rescue right now ... we have all hands on deck,” he said. |
| Tweety Garrison, 63, said she was inside her mobile home with her husband, two young grandchildren and a family friend when the storm hit. Garrison said when she heard the storm coming she hit the ground. Moments later, she said, she heard the mobile home next door slam into hers, before it flipped over and landed on her roof. | Tweety Garrison, 63, said she was inside her mobile home with her husband, two young grandchildren and a family friend when the storm hit. Garrison said when she heard the storm coming she hit the ground. Moments later, she said, she heard the mobile home next door slam into hers, before it flipped over and landed on her roof. |
| Garrison said the incident lasted five to 10 minutes. She said there was a tornado warning on her phone but the sirens did not go off until after the tornado hit. | Garrison said the incident lasted five to 10 minutes. She said there was a tornado warning on her phone but the sirens did not go off until after the tornado hit. |
| Garrison’s 32-year-old son, Elton, said he heard the wailing tornado sirens and had just laid down at home about a half-mile away when his phone rang. He recognized his mother’s number, but there was no voice on the other end when he answered. | Garrison’s 32-year-old son, Elton, said he heard the wailing tornado sirens and had just laid down at home about a half-mile away when his phone rang. He recognized his mother’s number, but there was no voice on the other end when he answered. |
| “I thought, ‘That’s weird,”’ he said. Then his mother called back and delivered a chilling message: “We’re trapped.” | “I thought, ‘That’s weird,”’ he said. Then his mother called back and delivered a chilling message: “We’re trapped.” |
| Elton said when he arrived at his parents’ home, he found it blocked by debris and sitting with another trailer on top of it. He immediately began clearing a path to the home so that he could eventually lift a portion of an outside wall just enough so that all five occupants could slip beneath it and escape. | Elton said when he arrived at his parents’ home, he found it blocked by debris and sitting with another trailer on top of it. He immediately began clearing a path to the home so that he could eventually lift a portion of an outside wall just enough so that all five occupants could slip beneath it and escape. |
| “My parents were in there and two of my kids, one nine and the other 12 … my main emotion was fear,” said Garrison, who has lived in El Reno for about 26 years. “I couldn’t get them out of there quick enough.” | “My parents were in there and two of my kids, one nine and the other 12 … my main emotion was fear,” said Garrison, who has lived in El Reno for about 26 years. “I couldn’t get them out of there quick enough.” |
| Garrison said he was not alarmed by the warning sirens when he first heard them at home. | Garrison said he was not alarmed by the warning sirens when he first heard them at home. |
| “We hear them all the time here, so it didn’t seem like a big deal ... I heard a lot of rain with the wind. But when it kinda got calm all of a sudden, that’s when it didn’t feel right.” | “We hear them all the time here, so it didn’t seem like a big deal ... I heard a lot of rain with the wind. But when it kinda got calm all of a sudden, that’s when it didn’t feel right.” |
| Garrison, whose vehicle remained at the mobile park early on Sunday because the area had since been cordoned off by authorities, said his parents had only recently recovered after losing their previous home to a fire a few years ago. | Garrison, whose vehicle remained at the mobile park early on Sunday because the area had since been cordoned off by authorities, said his parents had only recently recovered after losing their previous home to a fire a few years ago. |
| “Now this,” he said, before expressing gratitude that everyone inside his parents’ home had emerged without serious injury. “Items can be replaced. Lives can’t.” | “Now this,” he said, before expressing gratitude that everyone inside his parents’ home had emerged without serious injury. “Items can be replaced. Lives can’t.” |
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| Oklahoma | Oklahoma |
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