Tornadoes killed four people in Oklahoma, including an infant, and left thousands without power on Sunday, following a deadly outbreak of severe weather that destroyed buildings in the centre of one rural town and injured at least 100 people across the state. More than 20,000 people were without power hours after tornadoes struck late Saturday night.
The damage was substantial in Sulphur, a town of roughly 5,000 people, when a tornado crumpled numerous downtown buildings, flung cars and buses, and chopped roofs off houses within a 15-block radius. "You just can't believe the destruction," Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt remarked during a visit to the devastated town. "It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed."
Governor Kevin Stitt reported that nearly 30 people were injured in Sulphur, including those who were in a pub when the tornado struck. According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, hospitals throughout the state reported approximately 100 injuries, including those who seemed to have been cut or injured by debris.
White House sources said President Joe Biden called Governor Kevin Stitt on Sunday and expressed the federal government's complete support. The devastating weather in Oklahoma contributed to the dozens of recorded tornadoes that have caused devastation in the country's middle since Friday. Another death was reported Sunday in Iowa, where Pottawattamie County officials said a man who was badly injured by a tornado on Friday died.
An executive order was issued by Governor Kevin Stitt on Sunday, declaring a state of emergency in 12 counties in response to the extreme weather. Residents in neighbouring states were also recovering from hurricane damage. A tornado destroyed homes and businesses in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday as it raced for miles through farmland and neighbourhoods before slamming into an Iowa town.
Video credit: Associated Press
