Perilous
Times
Oklahoma: First Earthquakes now massive storms produce
tornadoes, fierce flooding
Evidence of one tornado had been confirmed, but the National
Weather Service will continue to investigate and several more
confirmations are likely, meteorologist Forrest Mitchell said.
BY MATT DINGER and TIFFANY GIBSON Oklahoman
Published: November 8, 2011
Massive storms rush in after a series of Earthquakes shakes
Oklahoma.
A tornado was confirmed in southwestern Oklahoma on Monday
afternoon, and there were reports of several more with the storm.
The tornado appears to have touched down near the Texas state line
and moved northeast across the Wichita Mountain Refuge and toward
the Fort Cobb reservoir.
Evidence of one tornado had been confirmed, but the National
Weather Service will continue to investigate and several more
confirmations are likely, meteorologist Forrest Mitchell said.
Damage reported
In Tillman County, a farmhouse southeast of Tipton was damaged,
emergency manager Randy Hasley said. The family hid in the cellar
and no one was injured. They were trapped inside when emergency
responders arrived.
“It looked like the house may have taken a glancing blow,” Hasley
said.
An Oklahoma State University farm experiment building south of
Tipton was destroyed, but no one was at the site.
Dairy barns were hit about seven miles west of Frederick. Some
animals and hay bales were lost, but the main structures remain
intact, he said.
“It didn't hit the main ones. There was tin, hay and everything
else. It was a pretty big one there. It could have done several
million dollars worth of damage if it hit the dairy straight on,”
Hasley said.
One garage was damaged in Kiowa County, Oklahoma Emergency
Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said, and minor roof damage to
several homes was reported in Caddo County.
An airport in Washita County recorded winds of 92 mph and 60 mph
gusts were reported in several areas of the county, according to
the weather service. Hail stones as large as limes also were
recorded across many parts of the state as the storms tracked to
the northeast.
People rescued
During heavy rain and persistent storms, Sulphur firefighters
rescued nine people from flooded homes Sunday night.
Pete Haines, fire marshal for the Sulphur Fire Department, said
four homes were evacuated within three blocks of W 10 and W Tulsa
Street because of flooding.
Knee deep in water, Haines and other firefighters helped walk
residents out of their homes.
“Some people took clothes and personal items. The rest were left
with the clothes on their backs,” Haines said.
One of the firefighters who responded to the flooding went to his
house to retrieve a boat to rescue residents, but Haines said they
didn't have to use it because the water was shallow enough.
He said most of the residents returned to their homes Monday after
the water level had receded.
Heavy rainfall
The Oklahoma Mesonet site in Ringling recorded 6.82 inches of rain
during the 24-hour period ending 6 p.m. Monday. In Sulphur, 5.34
inches fell in the same time frame and 3.63 inches fell at the
Vanoss site.
Joe Jordan, Murray County Emergency Management director, said the
rain began after noon Sunday and heavier showers started about 10
p.m.
“The thunderstorms were coming at a straight line. We were pretty
sure we were going to get at least 5 inches,” he said.
By midnight, Jordan said the water was rising over bridges at the
Chickasaw National Recreation Area. He said Turner Falls in Davis
also had damage.
“They had a lot of damage to their parking lot, their new entrance
and exit roads they built in the last year,” Jordan said.
With future storms, Jordan said residents should be aware of their
surroundings, especially if there is a chance of flooding.
“Just be aware of water crossing the road,” he said. “Do not drive
into running water. It's not worth risking your life.”
Wall at field collapses
Sunday night and Monday morning rains caused the left field wall
of the Sulphur High School girls' softball complex to collapse,
said Gary Jones, Sulphur Schools superintendent.
The metal wall caved in because of floodwaters that washed out
soil around it, he said. There was a lot of water in the front
lawn at the high school, but no water got into the building, Jones
said.
CONTRIBUTING:
Robert Medley, staff writer