Tornado hits Riverwind Casino

Area buildings damaged

NORMAN — A tornado hit Riverwind Casino on Saturday night while the Beach Boys performed before a sold-out crowd inside.

“There’s somebody still out in the field investigating all the activity last night. Right now, there appears to be only one tornado in the Norman area,” National Weather Service meteorologist Daryl Williams said Sunday evening.

The tornado’s strength has not been categorized yet, but more information is expected Monday, Williams said. Preliminary reports show that the tornado was both weak and short-lived, Williams said.

No one was killed or hurt in the storm, state emergency management spokeswoman Keli Cain said.

“That damage right there in the area of the Riverwind Casino seems to be the only damage they have found in the area,” Cain said.

While several other buildings in the vicinity were damaged, the extent of the damage was not immediately known, she said. The only other damage reported in the area was to vehicles, trees and power lines, Cain said.

“Our records indicate and the National Weather Service has confirmed that last night the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 8:10 p.m. and that it issued a tornado warning at 8:37 p.m. This is the same time that the tornado hit our property,” according to a statement from Riverwind Casino released Sunday morning.

“We had no time to advise patrons of this weather event. Because we care about our employees and patrons, we take weather advisories very seriously. But like all Oklahomans, we know that weather events such as this can hit without warning and unfortunately, that is what happened at Riverwind last night,” the statement reads.

Parts of the casino have been cordoned off to assess storm damage, but the casino remainsopen.

Gov. Mary Fallin was attending the Beach Boys concert at the casino Saturday night.

Social media users also posted video of the roof leaking inside the concert venue.

Some damage to vehicles, roofs and barns also was reported in Caddo, Jackson, and Seminole counties with the storms, Cain said.

The weather service is investigating possible tornadoes in Caddo, Comanche and Seminole counties.

[PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN] Damage to buildings near Norman is being assessed Sunday. Several businesses were damaged by an apparent tornado that struck near Interstate 35 and State Highway 9 on Saturday night.

Several businesses near Interstate 35 and State Highway 9 were damaged Saturday as a storm rolled through the Norman area.

Workers restore power to damaged businesses Sunday near Norman.