Oklahoma Tornadoes Leave one Dead; Governor Declares Disaster Emergency

May 08--Emergency responders blanketed the metro area Thursday to begin cleanup and surveying the hardest-hit areas after Wednesday night's thunderstorms that spawned several tornadoes and produced widespread flooding that killed at least one and critically injured several others.

Skylyna Stewart, 43, drowned in a tornado shelter at a residence in the 7900 block of SE 164 in southeast Oklahoma City, police said.

The woman is the first reported death related to Wednesday night's storms that caused widespread damage in the Oklahoma City area and elsewhere.

Some of the hardest-hit areas were Amber and Bridge Creek in Grady County, the northwest side of Norman and southeast Oklahoma City. The storms, which included several tornadoes, large hail and severe straight-line winds, damaged bridges, snapped power lines and flooded area roadways. Many area waterways remained out of their banks Thursday. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. reported 6,613 customers remained without power Thursday afternoon.

Several people had to be rescued from inside vehicles that had stalled or been swept off roadways. Others were rescued from the top of flooded vehicles or after being swept into floodwaters.

"The physical toll is something I know we can handle easily," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said Thursday while touring storm-damaged areas in his city.

"It's the emotional toll I'm worried about."

Gov. Mary Fallin on Thursday morning issued an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for Alfalfa, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Dewey, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Major, McClain and Oklahoma counties.

Other counties may be added as warranted.

Under the order, state agencies responding to the disaster can make emergency purchases without going through the usual bid procedures.

The declaration also is the first step necessary should the state seek federal assistance.

Officials with the state's Department of Emergency Management will survey damage to see whether the state would qualify for such aid.

Emergency management Director Albert Ashwood said the department already has been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but state officials will wait to do assessments until the weather system passes through.

More severe storms are predicted through the weekend.

Bridge Creek

On Thursday morning, Fallin toured Bridge Creek, about 30 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, stopping to speak with residents and members of the all-volunteer fire department.

"It's been a very long night and a long day yesterday," Fallin said.

Fallin said her thoughts were with those who were injured or lost property.

Thankfully, she noted, there were no fatalities in Bridge Creek, she said.

The governor praised firefighters for going door-to-door Wednesday to warn residents. Bridge Creek has no warning sirens. A tornado that the National Weather Service has given a preliminary EF2 rating struck the Bridge Creek area beginning about 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter at Heritage Family Baptist Church, 600 N Mustang Road in Tuttle, for those affected by the tornado in Bridge Creek and Blanchard, and another at Santa Maria Virgen Episcopal Church, 5500 S Western Ave. in Oklahoma City. Spanish-speaking volunteers are available.

With more storms predicted for the next few days, Fallin said it's important for people to keep an eye on the weather, particularly with graduation events scheduled for this weekend.

Josh and Katie Longest were home at 1059 Somersworth Court in Bridge Creek with their three children Wednesday afternoon when the first tornado arrived and trapped them in their shelter.

"I was afraid the house was going to blow up on us," Katie Longest said.

Their recently remodeled house sustained heavy damage.

The roof caved and landed on the shelter door, trapping the family for about 30 minutes before a neighbor used a crowbar to free them.

They weren't out of danger.

When what appeared to be a second tornado came through, the family returned to the storm shelter, only to find it flooding quickly, Katie Longest said.

They ran toward what was left of the house, but when Josh Longest saw a nearby transformer blow, they returned to the shelter until the tornado passed. They were not injured.

The National Weather Service announced that survey teams would tour Grady County, as well the northwest side of Norman and southeast Oklahoma City.

The teams, consisting of Weather Service officials and other weather experts, will be responsible for determining the initial rating of the tornadoes based on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Oklahoma City

About 50 people suffered injuries Wednesday evening in Oklahoma City, and several were taken to hospitals in critical condition, said Lara O'Leary, spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority ambulance service. O'Leary said paramedics responded to 20 car crashes, nine injuries caused by wind and seven people with cuts and bruises.

The most significant damage in Oklahoma City occurred near Interstate 35 and SE 44. Emergency responders reported heavy damage at a motel and recreational vehicle park in the area after they were hit late Wednesday. The Weather Service has given a preliminary rating of EF2 to the Oklahoma City tornado.

Thirteen people were taken to hospitals from the Roadrunner RV Park, 4800 S Hattie Ave., and two were in critical condition en route, O'Leary said. Paramedics also helped with numerous water rescues, and high water caused one ambulance to overturn.

"That is just astounding considering the weight of those vehicles," O'Leary said.

Integris Southwest Medical Center received six of those injured at the RV park, including an 80-year-old woman who suffered a pelvic fracture and internal injuries. She was in critical condition Thursday. Four patients were treated and released.

A 45-year-old woman with a shoulder injury was in good condition at the hospital Thursday.

Shannon Wooten, 42, said he lives at the park in a pop-up camper.

He hopped into his pickup and gunned it for a concrete bathroom as the tornado hit; multiple RVs flew into his truck, he said, which temporarily lifted off the ground.

He made it out OK, but the weather flipped and battered his home.

Nearby, the storms left a motel in ruins, blasting out windows and ripping off swaths of roof. Glass shards, shingles and splintered wood littered the ground. It was one of several commercial buildings that sustained heavy damage near I-35 between SE 44 and SE 51.

The Salvation Army also set up a mobile canteen in the neighborhoods near SE 55 and I-35.

Oklahoma City firefighters made 150 water rescues from about 5 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday morning.

The rescues included a man trapped inside a floating mobile home and people in vehicles swept into high water.

The worst-flooded areas were in southwest and southeast Oklahoma City. The National Weather Service reported more than 7 inches of rain in parts of south Oklahoma City.

One Oklahoma City police officer Wednesday night reported his patrol car was flooded at SE 29 and Oklahoma Avenue.

Thursday morning, a man was trapped inside a mobile home at 17200 S Sunnylane Ave. when other mobile homes floated in high water and pushed against his. The man was not injured, and firefighters were able to get him out.

Will Rogers World Airport re-opened Thursday morning despite flood damage in the terminal from at least 12 leaks, many in the baggage-claim level and the pedestrian tunnel from the terminal to the parking garages. The general aviation terminal also sustained flood damage.

Some early morning flights were delayed or canceled.

Meanwhile, dozens of passengers and crews aboard two Delta airplanes were left stranded on planes near the terminal at Will Rogers World Airport for about 15 terrifying minutes Wednesday night as ground crews headed underground to ride out a tornado warning.

"There were some people that were completely freaking out," said Christina Nihira, an Oklahoma City freelance journalist who was a passenger on one of the planes.

Several municipal buildings, including police department headquarters, the Municipal Courts building, Fire Station 5 at NW 22 and N Broadway Avenue, and the city's main office building at 420 W Main St. also sustained minor flood damage.

City employees bailed water from the courts building into the early morning hours Thursday.

On SE 51 near Interstate 35 on Thursday morning, a peacock wandered across a patch of grass on a lawn in a cozy enclave of homes, amid a confetti of debris from Wednesday night storms.

A 40-year resident of the neighborhood, Charles Lang, said the peacock arrived in the tornadoes of May 2013, blown into the area by those deadly storms.

Once again, the peacock -- which has become a neighborhood pet, fed and cared for by all -- made it through unscathed.

Lang said the twister gave him a fright.

"I could hear it roarin'," he said.

"My ears were poppin'. Me and my two boys hunkered down in the hallway in the house with a mattress on our heads."

Across the street, Rene Gregorio, 35, sat on a front stoop with his children, Sabina, 10, and Diego, 7. Diego held on tight to a big, stuffed Elmo as the family members watched neighbors assess damage and clean the street.

The family sheltered together in a back room as a violent storm raked the area; a tree crushed an adjacent room.

Jordan Robertson, 12, gathered yard tools in a metal wagon and slipped on work gloves and plastic glasses before setting to work clearing a large branch from his grandmother's yard.

With school canceled, "I just thought it was real bad outside, and so I wanted to help," he said.

Norman

In Norman, workers spent Thursday cleaning roadways, removing downed power lines and assessing flooding. A number of roads remained closed Thursday afternoon as officials waited for high waters to recede. Others were washed out. Workers also were checking all of the city's 73 bridges for damage.

Norman Regional Hospital received one patient with storm-related injuries, who was reported in good condition Thursday.

Norman Regional's ambulance service, responded to 29 calls for service from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday. Six of the calls were weather-related, including four separate water rescue calls. Six patients were taken to hospitals due to the weather. There were no fatalities.

The HealthPlex campus, 3300 HealthPlex Parkway in Norman, received minor damage, including broken windows, one damaged door and some water inside the building. Debris, including awnings and tree limbs from neighboring buildings was blown into the parking lot. At the time of the storm, there were 111 patients at the HealthPlex. More than 500 community members also sought shelter at the hospital. The HealthPlex remained on back-up generator power Thursday because of the loss of two OG&E power stations.

Schools

Students will not return to Tinker Elementary School in the Midwest City-Del City school district for the remainder of the school year because of flooding caused by Wednesday's storms, district spokeswoman Stacey Boyer reported Thursday morning. The school's 530 children will resume classes Monday at First Southern Baptist Church, 6400 S Sooner Road, Boyer said.

In Moore, Timber Lake Elementary School, 3501 Sunnylane Road, one of two new schools set to open in the fall, received flood damage, said Dustin Horstkoetter, director of safety and security for Moore Public Schools.

"The entire bottom floor is covered in about 2 inches of water," Horstkoetter said.

Houchin Elementary School, 3200 N Webster, lost power to half the building, he said.

Moore

In Moore, business owners and others worked Thursday morning to clean up a number of businesses off S I-35 Service Road that sustained flooding damage.

Ladena Schober, owner of Metro Flooring and Design, said her business at 2719 S I-35 Service Road took on about three inches of muddy water Wednesday night.

On Thursday morning, she and others worked to pull out wet carpet and hardwood flooring.

"We're just a small business," Schober said. "We've got to get back on track so we can serve our customers."

Other businesses in the same plaza propped doors open to dry out Thursday. Chairs and other items from inside the businesses dried in the sun.

"We're thankful that this is all that it is," Schober said. "We'll get through it, and we'll be back good as new."

Daniel Conway and his wife, Amanda, had some flooding at their business, Baked in Moore, 2721 S I-35 Service Road.

The couple lost their home near Plaza Towers Elementary School during the May 20, 2013, tornado.

"Compared to that, this isn't that bad," Conway said Thursday.

He said they have a lot of people relying on them for cakes this weekend.

"Our primary concern is making sure our customers are getting taken care of," he said.

A sign in the window of Old School Bagel Cafe, 2747 S I-35 Service Road, read: "Hope to be open tomorrow!"

Owner Jason Atchison stayed up through the night trying to clear the store of water and red mud.

"We had to put more water on to actually get the red mud out," he said.

Despite the damage, Atchison and other business owners were in good spirits. Atchison said it could have been much worse.

"At least we still have a store," he said. "We can overcome this."

Copyright 2015 - The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City