Oklahoma Town Hit By Second Tornado in Two Weeks

On Monday night, a powerful tornado swept through a small city in northeast Oklahoma, causing devastation. Sadly, one person lost their life, and there are concerns for the whereabouts of up to two other individuals who remain unaccounted for, according to officials.

The tornado tore through Barnsdall, a small city with about 1,000 people, located roughly 40 minutes north of Tulsa. It wreaked havoc, destroying homes and causing trees and power lines to fall.

Last week tornado eat 4 lives in Oklahoma city.

Nearby Bartlesville also hit hard by the tornado, according to Kary Cox, the Emergency Director of Washington County. This tornado was part of a series of powerful storms that swept through the central United States, spawning several tornadoes that continued into Tuesday.

Mayor Johnny Kelly stated at a news conference on Tuesday morning that Barnsdall had suffered significant damage from the tornado. He reported that around 30 to 40 homes in the town completely flattened by the twister.

At that time, there one confirmed fatality related to the severe weather. But Mayor Kelly did not disclose the person’s identity. He mentioned that one or possibly two other individuals still unaccounted for, though officials had some leads on their whereabouts. Search crews had worked tirelessly through the night until 4 a.m. and were planning to resume their efforts later in the morning.

Mayor Johnny Kelly provided further details regarding the impact of the tornado. Which stating that an additional seven or eight people sustained injuries.

He mentioned that one firefighter taken to the hospital on Tuesday morning due to chest pains. Although he didn’t specify the nature of the injuries for the other individuals.

Stephen Nehrenz, a meteorologist at CBS Tulsa affiliate KOTV, reported on social media late Monday about the impact of the tornado. He mentioned that the Hampton Inn in Bartlesville hit by the tornado, causing significant damage to the building’s roof.

Nehrenz noted that initial reports indicated that most of the people at the hotel were safe.

Kary Fox, from the Washington County Emergency Management, confirmed that Bartlesville directly hit by a tornado. He urged people to avoid driving on the roads and to stay away from damaged areas. Fox explained that the heavy traffic congestion was making it challenging for emergency responders. To assess the situation and check on people for injuries.

Local TV news footage captured law enforcement officers and residents assessing the damage in a neighborhood in Barnsdall. Lightning illuminated the scene as heavy rain fell.

The footage showed the aftermath of the tornado, with the roof of one house torn off and tossed onto the street by the powerful winds.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Health, a nursing home sustained damage from the tornado, prompting the evacuation of patients.

Additionally, Osage County Emergency Management reported a natural gas leak and numerous road closures due to debris from the storm.

According to CBS Tulsa affiliate KOTV, Osage County Emergency Management (OCEM) reported confirmed cases of multiple injuries and extensive damage in Barnsdall.

OCEM expressed concerns about many residents trapped in their homes due to the aftermath of the tornado. The presence of downed power lines and fears of potential gas leaks added complexity to the emergency response efforts. County officials actively engaged in clearing the roads to facilitate the arrival of assistance teams.

Authorities confirmed that search and rescue operations were in progress at the Osage Nation Reservation. Additionally, approximately 17,000 homes and businesses across Oklahoma were without power as of 5:45 a.m. local time.

Earlier in the evening, the National Weather Service in Tulsa issued a warning about a “large and life-threatening tornado” heading towards Barnsdall. Meteorologist Brad McGavock mentioned that wind gusts could reach up to 70 mph.

However, on Monday night, specific details about the tornado’s size and path were not immediately accessible.

On Monday, the storms started with strong winds and rain. But as the day turned into night, tornadoes were seen swirling around northern Oklahoma. In the evening, there was a storm in Covington, a small town, that made tornadoes come and go for more than an hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Across the region, wind farm turbines were spinning really fast because of the strong wind and heavy rain, making it hard to see.

In Kansas, there was hail as big as apples, some as large as 3 inches across.

The storms ripped through Oklahoma while places like Sulphur and Holdenville were still trying to recover from a tornado that happened late last month.

Which sadly took four lives and left thousands of people without electricity. This spring, tornadoes have been hitting hard in both the Plains and the Midwest.

Oklahoma’s State Emergency Operations Center, which coordinates responses to storms, remains on high alert following last weekend’s deadly weather events. Situated in a bunker near Oklahoma City, the capital, it stands ready to mobilize resources and support.

The weather service issued warnings for more than 3.4 million people, along with 1,614 schools and 159 hospitals across Oklahoma. Which parts of southern Kansas, and northern Texas. They faced the gravest risk of tornadoes on Monday, urging residents to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions.

In Sweetwater, a town in western Oklahoma, farmer and rancher Monte Tucker was busy preparing for the storm on Monday. He took precautions to safeguard his tractors and heavy equipment by storing them in barns to shield them from hail.

Aware of the potential danger, Tucker reached out to his neighbors, offering them refuge in his home if the weather worsened.

Tucker explained that his wife, who he humorously described as stubborn. It insisted on building a safe room when they constructed their house a decade ago. He described the room as being entirely on the ground level and constructed with sturdy concrete walls for extra protection.

On Monday, Oklahoma and Kansas were placed under a severe weather warning of high risk. Bill Bunting, the deputy director of the Storm Prediction Center. Which emphasized that such a warning is rare and not a common occurrence during the spring.

“It’s the most serious level of threat we can give,” he explained.

The last time this level of warning was issued was on March 31, 2023, during a massive storm system. That wreaked havoc on parts of the South and Midwest, affecting states like Arkansas, Illinois, and rural Indiana.

The heightened risk on Monday stemmed from a rare combination of factors: In Colorado’s densely populated Front Range area. Which includes Denver, winds were roaring at speeds of up to about 75 mph. These strong winds were a result of a low pressure system situated north of Colorado.

Simultaneously, this system was drawing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, adding fuel to the potential for severe weather across the Plains. As explained by the National Weather Service’s office in the Denver area.

Despite the intense atmospheric activity, Colorado itself wasn’t facing the threat of tornadoes or thunderstorms.

The weather outlook for the entire week across the United States is stormy. It is with the eastern U.S. and the South anticipated to bear the brunt of the severe weather. Cities like Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. By home to over 21 million people combined, are expected to experience rough conditions throughout the week.

However, clearer skies are forecasted for the weekend.

In the Houston area, floodwaters started to recede on Monday following several days of heavy rainfall in southeastern Texas. The downpour resulted in flooded neighborhoods and prompted numerous high-water rescues.