Bad weather causes damage, power outage
- Tornadoes were reported in Texas and Oklahoma on Wednesday night, including one in Seminole that directly hit a school.
- East Texas, southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana faced a risk of severe weather Thursday.
- The threat of severe weather continues Friday in the South; in the Plains on the weekend.
OKLAHOMA CITY– Hours after damaging tornadoes swept through Texas and Oklahoma on Wednesday night, parts of the south braced for more severe weather on Thursday.
No serious injuries were reported from Wednesday’s tornadoes, but severe thunderstorms caused “large and dangerous” flooding and tornadoes in the states, the The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, said.
More than 12,000 customers in Oklahoma and 2,900 in Texas were without power Thursday morning, according to online tracker PowerOutages.Us.
In Seminole, Oklahoma, the second severe storm in a week tore through the town. Debris was seen strewn across the city and several downtown buildings were “completely destroyed”, according to social media.
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Seminole Academy confirmed that the school building was directly affected by the tornado. But everyone at the school was safe and was taken care of, officials said.
“Please don’t come to school, it’s extremely dangerous,” the school wrote in a Facebook post.
The American Red Cross was also setting up a shelter in Seminole on Wednesday evening.
A storm on Monday had also damaged buildings and downed trees.
Seminole County was under tornado and flash flood warnings Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said, and tornadoes were also reported in the towns of Tecumseh, Earlsboro and Cromwell.
As the storm moved through the area, the weather service said it was “under the rain“, which means that it would be difficult to see a tornado in progress.
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Video shows massive tornado near Lockett, Texas
In Texas, the The weather service said a tornado was also spotted southeast of Lockett. Footage shared on social media showed the huge tornado and the damage it caused as it hit buildings.
There were no significant injuries or fatalities, but several homes and barns appeared to have sustained significant damage, Wilbarger County Sheriff Brian Fritze told KAUZ-TV.
Potential for more severe weather in Oklahoma, Arkansas on Thursday
Much of Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas were still under watch and flood or flood warnings as of Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
the Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said there was still potential for severe weather in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas on Thursday. A risk of flooding, “large hail and damaging winds” were the main concerns.
The Storm Prediction Center placed parts of eastern Texas, southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana at “increased risk” of severe weather on Thursday. “Damaging winds are expected to be the primary hazard, but isolated tornadoes and large hail will also be possible,” the center said.
The threat of severe weather will continue Friday in parts of the South and over the weekend in the Central Plains and Midwest, the weather service said.
Contributor: Associated Press. Smith reported from Oklahoma City.
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