Severe storms pounded the central United States early Tuesday morning, after tornadoes destroyed parts of two communities in Oklahoma and heavy hail fell in Kansas. Earlier, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued a rare “high risk” severe storm threat for the region, warning that severe thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds could continue overnight. did.
At least 15 tornadoes were reported to have struck parts of the central United States by Monday night.
According to the National Weather Service, seven of the tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Oklahoma, two in Iowa, two in Kansas, two in South Dakota, one in Nebraska and one in Tennessee. There is.There was hail the size of baseballs. Kansas. The service added that the extent of the damage is unknown, but more severe weather is expected, possibly including more tornadoes.
The tornado destroyed about a third of Barnsdall, a small city in northeastern Oklahoma, destroyed or damaged buildings and hospitalized about 20 ambulances, Osage County Emergency Management Director Jerry Roberts said. He said several people were injured. The tornado also blew off the roof of a nursing home in Barnsdall, said Steven Cobb, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Tulsa.
The National Weather Service issued an unusual warning as the storm intensified. tornado emergency A warning of catastrophic damage and a serious threat to life was in effect for about 30 minutes in parts of Osage and Washington counties, Oklahoma.
The tornado destroyed power lines along its path, leaving the entire town without power, Cobb said. He said it landed near Barnsdall around 9:30 p.m., traveled northeast toward Bartlesville, and took off there around 10:15 p.m.
Barnsdall was also hit by tornadoes last month, but Monday's tornado appeared to be more powerful, estimated at a 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of 0 to 5, Cobb said.
In Bartlesville, the southwest and northeastern parts of the city were hardest hit, said Washington County Emergency Management Director Kelly Cox. Emergency responders were rescuing people trapped at the Hampton Inn and restoring downed power lines early Tuesday morning, the city of Bartlesville said. The city said there were minor injuries, but did not say how many.
More than 6 million people were under tornado watches early Tuesday morning in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas. The Japan Meteorological Bureau announced this at around 12:15 a.m. local time. tornado warning Oklahoma City and areas to the east.
“These are particularly dangerous conditions,” the National Weather Service announced late Monday afternoon. Social media About the tornado threat in Oklahoma. In Garfield County, Oklahoma, severe weather destroyed some barns, felled trees and caused a car to hydroplane into a ditch, but no one was injured, said Mike Honigsberg, the county's emergency management director. said.
The Storm Prediction Center, part of the Bureau of Meteorology, has predicted the highest risk level for the first time since March 31, 2023. On that day, 131 tornadoes touched down in 11 states from the Midwest to the South.
Oklahoma's last high-risk level was May 20, 2019, when 35 tornadoes struck across five states, primarily in the Plains region.
Here's what you need to know about the storm.
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“Large to large hail, strong to long-lasting tornadoes, the size of baseballs and softballs,” are possible, Butler said.
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The storm in western Oklahoma was expected to move eastward overnight.
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Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas have some chance of tornadoes, although not as high as high-risk areas. Forecasters in Oklahoma City warned that the storm could produce dangerous tornadoes.
Forecasters raised the risk level Monday morning as conditions across the Plains changed, increasing confidence that multiple severe tornadoes would form along a potentially long path.
“Anyone in the affected area needs to have a safety plan in place,” Butler said.
meteorological bureau Described the environment from southern Kansas to Oklahoma. “It's similar to some high-end and even historic severe weather and tornado events in the past.”
As the front moves out of the Rocky Mountains, heavy rain could increase in parts of eastern Kansas and Nebraska, as well as western Iowa and Missouri, creating a potential flooding risk, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The National Weather Prediction Center warned of a slight chance of excessive rain in parts of the Central Plains and central Mississippi Valley from Monday into Tuesday morning. Heavy rain could cause flash flooding in urban areas, roads, streams and low-lying areas.
The risk of severe weather comes a week after more than 20 tornadoes were reported and at least five people, including young children, were killed in Oklahoma and Iowa, authorities said.
The current threat will not end on Monday. More storms are expected over the next few days, primarily Wednesday from Texas to Ohio.
Livia Albeck-Lipka, John Yoon and Jesus Jimenez Contributed to the report.
