Tornadoes Leave Path of Destruction Across Oklahoma, Killing at Least One
Residents in communities across the central U.S. are once again sifting through the debris of destroyed homes and businesses after severe weather and tornadoes ripped across the region from Monday night into Tuesday morning, leaving at least one person dead and causing catastrophic damage in a city north of Tulsa in Oklahoma. A Tornado Emergency was issued for Osage County in Oklahoma when the National Weather Service said a “large and destructive tornado” that was causing catastrophic damage was moving toward Barnsdall.
Significant Damage Reported in Barnsdall and Bartlesville
Video from FOX Weather storm trackers showed significant damage to buildings in the area after the powerful storm moved through and made its way toward the community of Bartlesville. Significant damage was also reported in Bartlesville, with officials saying in a Facebook post that first responders worked to rescue people who were trapped at a Hampton Inn.
Major damage was also reported to medical facilities and in residential areas in northeast Bartlesville. The tornado ripped through Barnsdall, a city of about 1,000 people, destroying homes and toppling trees and power lines. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, at least 30 to 40 homes in the Barnsdall area were damaged.
The state Department of Health reported that a nursing home was damaged and patients were being evacuated. A natural gas leak and numerous road closings due to debris were also reported. Search and rescue efforts were underway at Osage Nation Reservation, and approximately 17,000 homes and businesses were without power in Oklahoma as of 5:45 a.m. local time.
Multiple Tornadoes and Severe Storms Across Oklahoma
Only a week after dozens of tornadoes tore across Oklahoma, the region faced another bout of storms Monday, including at least eight possible tornadoes, large hail, and strong winds. Several possible tornadoes causing some damage were spotted in northwestern Oklahoma, including in areas near Okeene, Hennessey, and Covington.
The tornado that struck Barnsdall and Bartlesville caused injuries and was the second to hit Barnsdall in about a month. The line of storms passed through Oklahoma City after midnight, with straight-line wind causing damage in Moore and a possible tornado striking south OKC on a path toward Choctaw.
Bartlesville Public Schools and Barnsdall Public Schools announced on Facebook that classes are canceled Tuesday due to power outages and road closures. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management has asked residents impacted by the storms to report damage to their homes, businesses, or farms in an online survey at damage.ok.gov.
Storms Threaten Millions Across the Central U.S.
The storms tore through Oklahoma as areas including Sulphur and Holdenville were still recovering from a tornado that killed four and left thousands without power late last month. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.
The weather service said more than 3.4 million people, 1,614 schools, and 159 hospitals in Oklahoma, portions of southern Kansas, and far northern Texas faced the most severe threat of tornadoes Monday. The increased risk was due to an unusual confluence of strong winds and moisture being pulled up from the Gulf of Mexico.
Colorado wasn’t at risk of tornadoes or thunderstorms, but winds gusting up to around 75 mph were blasting through the state’s populated Front Range region, including the Denver area, on Monday. The winds were being created by a low pressure system north of Colorado that was also pulling up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, fueling the risk of severe weather on the Plains, according to the National Weather Service’s Denver-area office.
Stormy Weather Expected to Continue Throughout the Week
The entire week is looking stormy across the U.S., with the eastern U.S. and the South expected to get the brunt of the bad weather through the rest of the week, including Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, cities where more than 21 million people live. It should be clear over the weekend.
Meanwhile, floodwaters in the Houston area began receding Monday after days of heavy rain in southeastern Texas left neighborhoods flooded and led to hundreds of high-water rescues. The flooding in southeastern Texas is expected to subside as the week progresses and the storm system moves eastward.
