By John Dobberstein, Editor
Severe storms and tornadoes marched across Oklahoma on Monday, with a massive twister causing major destruction in the small Osage County town of Barnsdall.
The same tornado also caused damage in the southwest and northeast parts of Bartlesville, including the Hampton Inn hotel near Highway 75.
The full extent of the damage in Barnsdall won’t be known until Tuesday morning. But numerous first responders descended on the town for search-and-rescue operations and to aid storm victims. Osage County authorities said at least one person was killed in the storm.
Some witnesses called the damage to homes and business in Barnsdall as “catastrophic.” A shelter was set up at the local high school to help storm victims.
Further west in the Oklahoma City metro, storm winds of 60-70 mph were reported that caused some spotty damage. Tulsa County was mostly spared damage
from the line of storms, with the biggest emerging threat early Tuesday being flooding.
A tornado warning was issued around midnight for Okmulgee County for a long-lived storm that originated in southern Oklahoma County. The storm traveled along Highway 16 and was poised to enter Muskogee County around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
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