CNN: Tornado kills two near Oklahoma City, officials say
Bericht van: Wilber (Ulft) , 25-05-2011 01:26
Tornado kills two near Oklahoma City, officials say
May 24, 2011 -- Updated 2312 GMT (0712 HKT)
At least two people were killed and many more injured Tuesday afternoon after tornadoes and severe storms punished counties west and south of Oklahoma City, officials said.
Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards told CNN a large tornado that crossed I-40 near El Reno destroyed homes and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of the state capital.
County Emergency Management Director Jerry Smith told CNN the storm, which moved past Calumet and Edmond, north of Oklahoma City, killed two and caused numerous injuries.
The twister injured motorists on Interstate 40 and U.S. 81, Smith said. Deputies were attending to the injured, and there were reports of property damage in the area.
Another tornado was seen at Chickasha, about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It later reached Newcastle, closing in on Moore and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City.
The National Weather Service warned residents and I-44 drivers to take precautionary action.
"It came right past the store," said Chickasha AutoZone employee Nathaniel Charlton. "They had a little debris thrown across the parking lot. It was on the ground but it wasn't bad."
Sirens went off about 20 minutes before the storm pushed through, Charlton told CNN.
State officials received reports of damaged businesses in Chickasha.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Weather Service said.
Tornado warnings were issued in Oklahoma County, Canadian County and Grady County, indicating other twisters had touched down.
CNN Oklahoma City affiliates broadcast images of funnel clouds that were dumping rain as they moved toward more populated areas.
More twisters and severe thunderstorms are expected to push through the region and threaten Joplin, Missouri, which was devastated by a tornado on Sunday.
Tornado watches were in effect Tuesday afternoon in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
In anticipation of the severe weather, American Airlines canceled 126 arriving and departing flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, spokesman Ed Martelle told CNN.
Operations were suspended late Tuesday afternoon at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
A "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watch was issued for a large part of Oklahoma and northern Texas until 10 p.m. CT. This includes Oklahoma City and portions of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said the high-risk area for severe storms includes southern Kansas, most of Oklahoma and southward into Texas.
Surrounding the high-risk area is a large "moderate"-risk area where tornadoes are possible. This includes the cities of Dallas; Kansas City, Missouri; Springfield, Missouri; and Joplin.
The worst for Joplin is expected to be between 8 p.m. and midnight. Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are possible, according to Hennen.
The tornado threat will slowly diminish late Tuesday evening and overnight, but isolated tornadoes, large hail and damaging straight-line (non-tornado-type) winds will continue.
The tornado that struck Joplin on Sunday killed at least 118 people, authorities said Tuesday, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.
May 24, 2011 -- Updated 2312 GMT (0712 HKT)
At least two people were killed and many more injured Tuesday afternoon after tornadoes and severe storms punished counties west and south of Oklahoma City, officials said.
Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards told CNN a large tornado that crossed I-40 near El Reno destroyed homes and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of the state capital.
County Emergency Management Director Jerry Smith told CNN the storm, which moved past Calumet and Edmond, north of Oklahoma City, killed two and caused numerous injuries.
The twister injured motorists on Interstate 40 and U.S. 81, Smith said. Deputies were attending to the injured, and there were reports of property damage in the area.
Another tornado was seen at Chickasha, about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It later reached Newcastle, closing in on Moore and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City.
The National Weather Service warned residents and I-44 drivers to take precautionary action.
"It came right past the store," said Chickasha AutoZone employee Nathaniel Charlton. "They had a little debris thrown across the parking lot. It was on the ground but it wasn't bad."
Sirens went off about 20 minutes before the storm pushed through, Charlton told CNN.
State officials received reports of damaged businesses in Chickasha.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Weather Service said.
Tornado warnings were issued in Oklahoma County, Canadian County and Grady County, indicating other twisters had touched down.
CNN Oklahoma City affiliates broadcast images of funnel clouds that were dumping rain as they moved toward more populated areas.
More twisters and severe thunderstorms are expected to push through the region and threaten Joplin, Missouri, which was devastated by a tornado on Sunday.
Tornado watches were in effect Tuesday afternoon in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
In anticipation of the severe weather, American Airlines canceled 126 arriving and departing flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, spokesman Ed Martelle told CNN.
Operations were suspended late Tuesday afternoon at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
A "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watch was issued for a large part of Oklahoma and northern Texas until 10 p.m. CT. This includes Oklahoma City and portions of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said the high-risk area for severe storms includes southern Kansas, most of Oklahoma and southward into Texas.
Surrounding the high-risk area is a large "moderate"-risk area where tornadoes are possible. This includes the cities of Dallas; Kansas City, Missouri; Springfield, Missouri; and Joplin.
The worst for Joplin is expected to be between 8 p.m. and midnight. Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are possible, according to Hennen.
The tornado threat will slowly diminish late Tuesday evening and overnight, but isolated tornadoes, large hail and damaging straight-line (non-tornado-type) winds will continue.
The tornado that struck Joplin on Sunday killed at least 118 people, authorities said Tuesday, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.
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