Republished September 20, 2024 - 4:55 AM
Original Publication Date September 20, 2024 - 4:16 AM
PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) — A strong storm moved through part of Oklahoma, flipping over several camping vehicles and downing trees and power lines, authorities said. One death was reported.
The city of Pawnee asked residents to stay in their homes as emergency crews identified areas that were hit and worked to restore power following Thursday night's storm.
“There is a significant amount of damage, several road closures and emergency crews throughout town,” the city posted online late Thursday.
One person died in an RV that flipped, said Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell. He said others were damaged and people “essentially lost just about everything they own in a matter of seconds.”
The National Weather Service office in Tulsa received wind gust reports of up to 72 mph (116 kph) and hail the size of golf balls.
“Right now, we're not sure whether it was straight-line wind damage or tornado,” meteorologist Mark Plate in the Tulsa office said Friday morning. “We'll have to send out survey teams today to survey the damage.”
Pawnee Public Schools were closed Friday due to storm damage. Homecoming activities Thursday night were canceled because of the weather.
Pawnee, which has about 1,900 people, is in northeast Oklahoma, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Tulsa.
News from © The Associated Press, 2024