At Least Eight Tornadoes Hit Oklahoma, Including One Monster, Killing Multiple People
The hail around the state was as big as softballs and baseballs.
It’s spring in Oklahoma. That means one thing: severe storms.
On Wednesday, Oklahomans stayed glued to the TV as local stations provided live coverage of the storms scattered across the state. We all knew something would happen since technology has allowed meteorologists to predict possible severe storms a week in advance.
I could geek out over how the storms developed, what caused them, and the secret ingredient to spawn these supercells, but I won’t. That could be a whole post! But I have to show you the radar. Weather geeks: You must have RadarScope on your phone and desktop.
This is one of the most remarkable storm interactions I can recall. Veritable carousel of circulations as these two storms tango with one another.
The word fujiwhara keeps coming to mind.
Looks like a new monster is developing west of Shawnee/Tecumseh. Unbelievable. #okwx https://t.co/wvdgLpt8RQ pic.twitter.com/I1I4Lm9R9O
— Sam Sagnella ⚡️ (@SamSagnella) April 20, 2023
Fujiwhara (named after the scientist who discovered the phenomenon) is when two hurricanes, usually typhoons in the Pacific, dance when they get close to each other. The interaction, usually between a small and large typhoon, can lead to the larger one absorbing the smaller one.
My area had three hailstorms. I expect insurance agents and roof companies to be out and about today.
But overall, Oklahoma saw eight tornadoes in total on Wednesday. The monster that went through Cole and Shawnee killed two people.
If you’re a weather geek like me, you must follow Reed Timmer. He takes you into the action…literally.
Reed caught the tornado’s formation in Cole, a small town with only 624 people, about 30 minutes south of OKC:
A storm tore through the small town of Cole on Wednesday, causing two deaths and significant damage.
“Based on the damage reports that we’re getting back, as significant as it is, there could be more injuries or deaths that we don’t know about at this time,” said Gibbons.
Deputy Gibbons said the next of kin has been notified for both fatalities. As of 1:20 a.m. Thursday, it’s not clear how old the victims were.
As for the damage, KFOR talked with the owners of the Scissortail Silos wedding venue, which is now destroyed.
The owner said she had to call a bride who was supposed to get married there on Saturday and let her know her dress was destroyed.
The county’s sheriff’s department confirmed a third death.
The storm went to Pink and turned north to Shawnee, a city with almost 30,000 people. The tornado damaged Oklahoma Baptist University:
University President Heath Thomas called this the worst disaster in the university’s history.
Buildings were significantly damaged, but Thomas said they can be rebuilt and they are happy no one on campus was injured. University officials are assessing the damage, saying it was bad.
Shawnee Hall and the Raley Chapel were severely damaged. The chapel is history and had a shelter in it where students went into Wednesday night.
Tornado as it was just SW of Shawnee, OK. #okwx pic.twitter.com/Xm3SGGdb4O
— Max Olson (@MesoMax919) April 20, 2023
A tattered American flag flies over a demolished home in Cole, OK after a #tornado ravaged this area last evening. Continuous coverage on @kfor. #okwx pic.twitter.com/5Rj69dI3Z2
— Chris McBee (@McBeeWX) April 20, 2023
Chopper 4 is flying over Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee where last night's tornado caused significant damage.
8:10AM THU @kfor #okwx pic.twitter.com/NYMsGpOPyp
— Emily Sutton (@emilyrsutton) April 20, 2023
#BREAKING: Two people are dead after several tornadoes tore through Oklahoma, overnight. Here are two homes partially collapsed in Cole, OK. @OKCFOX pic.twitter.com/k6rDhEX4JM
— Victor Park (@VictorParkNews) April 20, 2023
OKLAHOMA TORNADO DAMAGE | Sky 5 showed some of the damage Wednesday night's tornadoes caused in parts of Shawnee. Get more coverage here: https://t.co/s2Ug5vLKyG pic.twitter.com/ljxWsiT6ht
— koconews (@koconews) April 20, 2023
MORE DAMAGE IN SHAWNEE…look at this! #okwx #Tornado pic.twitter.com/jrNyhCfNCX
— Shelby Cashman (@KOCOShelby) April 20, 2023
My heart absolutely goes out to those in Cole, Shawnee, and places in between. I was piloting the interceptor and wasn't able to communicate, but have seen the damage and heartbreak firsthand. @kfor #okwx pic.twitter.com/mzBoNUhiCP
— Aaron Brackett (@Aaron_Brackett) April 20, 2023
@LaceySwope @LacieLowry
Blanchard, OK pic.twitter.com/H3Je3iSALp— Jose Lopez (@JoseLopeezII) April 20, 2023
SHAWNEE HIGH SCHOOL: The roof is GONE! You can see all the debris filling the basketball court @koconews #okwx #Tornado pic.twitter.com/mR8JN3NGeF
— Shelby Cashman (@KOCOShelby) April 20, 2023
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Comments
One of the proposals for the North Carolina quarter design was a trailer park with tornadoes approaching.
We use trailer parks in NC to draw tornadoes away from standard homes.
Storm shelters should be mandatory
In Wisconsin we all had basements and farms had that and storm cellars
I know about rock, I’m on rock, solid, but in tornado country, it just has to be mandatory
We cannot have basements due to the soil. I wish we had basements. Storm shelters cost a lot of money, unfortunately. But believe it or not, the vast majority of us have shelters. Luckily our meteorologists have amazing technology that can warn us about potential severe weather and tornadoes so we can take precautions beforehand.
Basements are really a function of temperature. Colder the climate, the deeper the foundation. I’ve never seen a home in Michigan without a basement.
In most of Michigan, you have to bury the foundation 5 feet deep or frost heaves will destroy it. If you dug a 5 foot hole to put in the foundation, it doesn’t make much sense to fill that hole back in before building the house over it.
Fiberglass in- ground ones appear to run around $5 – $7K, installation included. Not exactly pocket change, but a lot cheaper than a basement and more comfortable than a drainage ditch.
If we can send a manned rocket to the moon, almost 60 years ago, we should be able to figure out basements in OK
Musk, we are looking at you!
Musk solved that almost a decade ago. See The Boring Company.
Terribly terribly sad
75% of all tornadoes in the world happen in the United States. We win everything!
Are minorities disproportionately affected? That is the question. If so, it’s time for more mayhem and looting.
I act think tornado alley runs from Texas through the Midwest to Wisconsin
A lot of white, middle class, poor farmers and such
Just last week a liberal rag said tornado ally has moved to push the liberal religion of climate change. Seems to be right where it would be expected.
Had a lot of wind and a teeny bit of rain in my part of the state but thankfully no tornados or baseball sized hail. I know Stitt declared an emergency for the affected counties, hopefully that will bring in a lot of help for those harmed by the storm.
A collegue lives down there. He said it was a record 12 tornados in OK city yesterday.