Two people killed in tornado in Oklahoma, emergency imposed

Tornadoes struck Oklahoma on Sunday, causing widespread destruction, leveling homes and buildings and knocking out power to thousands of residents. At least two people, including a child, were killed.

Dozens of tornadoes have struck the central part of the country since Friday, with flood watches and warnings in effect through Sunday for Oklahoma and other states including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.

In Oklahoma, a tornado struck Holdenville, a town of about 5,000 people, late Saturday night, killing two people and injuring four others, Hughes County Emergency Medical Services said in a statement Sunday.

Homes were demolished and street signs were bent to the ground in the community, about 80 miles (128.75 kilometers) from Oklahoma City. As workers began dealing with the damage, the sound of chainsaws could be heard in the distance.

“My prayers are with those who lost loved ones due to the tornadoes that struck Oklahoma last night,” Governor Kevin Stitt said in a statement.

He issued an executive order on Sunday declaring a state of emergency in 12 counties due to the severe weather, as crews worked to clear debris and assess damage caused by the deadly storm that downed power lines.

Later in the day, they planned to visit the southern Oklahoma city of Sulphur, where some buildings were reduced to piles of debris.

More than 30,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma as of Sunday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US, a company that tracks utility outages. In Texas, about 52,000 customers were without power.

In Sulphur, officials reported unspecified injuries along with significant destruction. Pictures from local news media showed several collapsed buildings and roofs collapsing from homes.

The Murray County Sheriff’s Office urged people to stay away from the city to clear the way for first responders after the tornado caused widespread damage, according to a statement posted by the agency on Facebook.

“Stay home and do not visit,” the sheriff’s office said.

A hospital was damaged in Marietta, according to the Oklahoma Emergency Management Office, which also said Interstate 35 on the border with Texas was closed “due to overturned vehicles and downed power lines on the highway.”

Residents in other states were also digging out to avoid damage caused by the storm. A tornado in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolished homes and businesses on Saturday as it moved for miles across farms and subdivisions, then slammed into an Iowa town.

Less than two dozen people were treated at Omaha-area hospitals, said Dr. Lindsey Huss, health director of the city’s Douglas County Health Department.

“Miraculous,” he said, emphasizing that none of the city’s injuries were serious. Neighboring communities each reported a handful of injuries.

Damage from the tornado near Lincoln, Nebraska began on Friday afternoon. An industrial building in Lancaster County was struck, causing it to collapse, killing 70 people. Officials said several people were trapped, but all were rescued and three injuries were not life-threatening.

Chris Franks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Omaha office, said one or possibly two tornadoes spent about an hour creeping toward Omaha, causing sustained damage with an EF3 twister with winds of 135 to 165 mph. Hui.

Ultimately, the twister hit the Elkhorn neighborhood of western Omaha, a city of 485,000 people and a metropolitan area population of nearly 1 million.

Stacy Roe surveyed the damage to what was supposed to be her “forever home,” which was not even two years old. When the tornado struck, they were at the airport to pick up a friend who was supposed to spend the night.

Describing the “extreme fear” she felt when she first saw it, she said, “There was no home to come to.”

Nebraska Governor Jim Pilen and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds toured the damage Saturday and arranged aid for damaged communities. A formal assessment of the damage is still underway, but the state is planning to seek federal help.