It’s the day after the storms and the counts begin. At least 8 people are dead and dozens more were injured in the storms yesterday.
Much of the state received strong gusty winds up to 70 MPH and pounded with up to 2 3/4″ hail, causing downed trees and power lines in many areas. And there were tornadoes. The media has reported 4 tornadoes, but the storm reports I received from the NWS only indicate 3. Of course it’s still early in the day and these numbers will fluctuate through the day as damage assessments are made.
The first tornado was reported at 3:05PM by a trained tornado spotter. A tornado was reported SW of Edmond. It caused extensive property damage in the Edmond area. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported yet.
At 4:35PM, Fire and Rescue personnel reported a tornado on the ground 3 miles south of Pawnee. The only reported damage was the destruction of a couple barns.
And just about the time we thought things were winding down, at 7:30 PM emergency managers reported a tornado on the ground in the town of Lone Grove. It caused extensive property damage and, at last count, had claimed the lives of 8 people and left dozens of people injured. Rescue and recovery operations were still taking place this morning.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the chase, but the damage severe weather causes can be catastrophic. The death toll can be staggering.
Our thoughts are with the many townships and cities in Oklahoma as they begin the recovery process, nurse their injured and bury their dead. And we’re all reminded of how fragile life really is.