(WatchDogReport.org) – At least four people died in Oklahoma as tornadoes ripped through the state and cut off power to thousands of people. The extreme weather leveled buildings in one town, and at least 100 people were injured across Oklahoma.
Over 20,000 people were left without power when the tornadoes started at night on April 27. In Sulphur, a town with a population of roughly 5,000, the tornadoes wrecked several buildings, removed roofs, and threw vehicles across a radius of 15 blocks. During a visit to the badly hit town, Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commented that it seemed that all businesses downtown were ruined.
A fifth person died of injuries in Iowa as a result of the storms hitting the central United States. One of those killed in Oklahoma was a four-month-old baby. The storms raged as far afield as Texas and Missouri, where some areas experienced seven inches of rainfall within a few hours. The tornadoes reached speeds of over 136 miles an hour, and at least 17 were reported to have touched down in Oklahoma.
A tornado near Holdenville killed two people and caused damage to several dozen houses. Another person died on Interstate 35 near Marietta, where a hospital was damaged in the storm. Stitt commented that a victim was found inside a bar in Sulphur, but the identities of those killed in the storms have not yet been revealed. Stitt declared a state of emergency on April 28 in 12 counties. The executive order was issued due to the impact of the severe weather as crews were working to survey the damage caused by the storms and clear debris.
However, there was some good news in the town of Sulphur. College student Payton McClure feared the worst for her dog, Jack, who was left behind by her grandparents when they fled the storm. Though the tornado demolished her grandparents’ house, Jack was found unhurt in a nearby pile of rubble.
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