Tornado hits Tulsa
Debris covers a street in Tulsa where a tornado touched down just after 1 a.m. Sunday, injuring more than two dozen people, causing heavy damage to businesses and knocking out power to thousands of customers. The area was blocked off while crews cleaned up the debris.
TULSA — A tornado near midtown Tulsa early Sunday injured more than two dozen people, including two with life-threatening injuries, knocked out power to thousands of customers, heavily damaged businesses and blew debris through the streets.
No deaths were reported after the storm that struck shortly after 1 a.m., according to city spokesman Kim Meloy.
Emergency Medical Services Authority spokesman Kelli Bruer said the ambulance company transported 13 people to area hospitals — eight from a TGI Fridays restaurant, four from a Whataburger restaurant, and one person who was in the area.
St. Francis Hospital spokesman Lauren Landwerlin said about 30 people were treated at the hospital, including many taken by private vehicles.
The timing of the storm meant fewer people were injured, according to Meloy, who noted that hundreds, if not thousands, of people were in the area only hours earlier.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Teague said an EF2 tornado, with wind speeds of 111 to 135 miles per hour, touched down shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday and possibly two other, smaller tornadoes touched down later near Inola and Claremore, about 25 miles east and northeast of Tulsa.