By John Dobberstein, Editor
TULSA — Early spring storms blew into the Tulsa metro and much of eastern Oklahoma Friday, causing widespread damage and at least 2 deaths, officials said.
That same storm broke up before hitting the Tulsa metro, but another monster storm that developed further southwest eventually socked southern Bixby and Broken Arrow with torrential rain and hail.
The tornadic supercell, with a pronounced wall cloud, passed near the Warren Theater and continued toward Northeastern State University’s Broken Arrow campus. The National Weather Service in Tulsa said there was an “observed” tornado near 81st Street and Midway Road, although there has been on confirmation.
Broken Arrow Mayor Debra Wimpee said in a Facebook post that city crews were conducting damage assessments and so far had only seen some power outages, fence damage and temporary power loss at a few lift stations. “Crews are actively working to address these issues,” Wimpee said.
According to the PulsePoint app, the Broken Arrow Fire Department did respond to several rescue calls, fire alarms and mutual aid requests Friday night and early Saturday.
As of Saturday morning, there were scattered power outages in the Tulsa area, most of them stretching in a line from east of Sand Springs to just south of Turley. There were more than 1,000 listed across Oklahoma, nearly half of them in McCurtain County.
In Okmulgee County, a tornado-warned storm that struck a house near Beggs killed 2 people and injured 2 more, law enforcement confirmed.
That storm continued into Tulsa County, spawning a suspected tornado that ripped half the roof off Tulsa Tech’s North Peoria Campus, scattering debris into the parking lot or wrapping it around nearby trees. The college said nobody was in the building when the storm hit.
The city of Tulsa began assessing conditions and monitoring roadways and infrastructure in coordination with local emergency managers. Damage has been confirmed in the general area between North Peoria Ave. and North Victor Ave., from 36th Street North to 50th Street North.
Crews responded to approximately 10 downed power lines, several large trees and limbs down, and damage to several homes across the affected area. A damaged gas meter and underground gas leak were also reported overnight and were mitigated with assistance from Oklahoma Natural Gas and city of Tulsa personnel.
The city said 36th Street North has been cleared and reopened with help from the city’s Public Works Department and PSO crews. The city said some localized street closures may occur while crews and residents continue cleanup and damage assessments.
Residents are asked to follow posted barricades and detours and avoid affected areas if possible to allow crews to work safely.
The same storm that hit north Tulsa continued toward Owasso and Collinsville and into northeastern Oklahoma, dropping intermittent tornadoes or strong winds that caused additional damage in Rogers, Mayes and Craig counties. Several storm chasers reported winds of 80-90 mph on the south side of Pryor.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has declared a state of emergency in Alfalfa, Creek, Grant, Major, Okmulgee, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner counties to ensure critical resources can immediately reach Oklahomans following severe weather this week.
“Oklahoma communities have been hit hard this week by dangerous severe weather and tornadoes, claiming precious lives and causing damage to property,” Stitt said in a statement. “As we continue to navigate the ongoing risks of storm season, I encourage all Oklahomans to stay aware and ready by following local alerts, having a safety plan in place, and heeding warnings to shelter.”
Those affected by the storms can report damage online at damage.ok.gov.
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