Tornadoes unleash tigers from zoo, Tornadoes, heavy rain and fierce hailstorms tore across parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, destroying dozens of homes in Oklahoma as forecasters called for severe weather to continue through the weekend.
The storms dumped up to 6 inches of rain in the southern part of Oklahoma City, prompting the the city to issue a flash-flood emergency for the first time in its history, said spokeswoman Kristy Yager.
No deaths were immediately reported. At least 16 people were injured after more than a dozen tornadoes struck in Oklahoma, according to local reports. City road crews were waiting for the storms to abate to set up barricades and evaluate trouble spots.
"We'll have a much better picture of how widespread the damage is when the sun comes up tomorrow," meteorologist Forrest Mitchell with the National Weather Service said.
The Emergency Medical Services Authority operating in the city transported 12 patients from a trailer park in south Oklahoma City to local hospitals, spokeswoman Laura O'Leary said.
Two people were injured in a weather-related accident in Moore, and flying debris caused one person to sustain an arm injury, The Oklahoman reported. Another man was taken for medical attention after he was hurt entering a storm shelter.
The twisters flipped vehicles and left power lines strewn across roadways, according to Michael Scotten, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Fire department crews were dispatched to rescue people and ambulances stranded in high water "all over" Oklahoma City, O'Leary said.
More than 10,000 homes and businesses were without power, according to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.Gov. Mary Fallin said she planned to declare a state of emergency to bring in federal assistance, local media reported.
"I think we got lucky," Oklahoma City police spokeswoman Dee Patty said. "We've seen a lot worse come through these same areas."
Flash flood warnings were in effect in two counties in north-Central Texas, where there were reports of tornadoes without damage or injuries, Mitchell said.
At least nine tornadoes swept through Kansas in the sparsely populated north-central part of the state, destroying some homes and a barn. In Nebraska, 10 to 15 homes were damaged near the Kansas border. The Storm Prediction Center warned that more rain was possible later in the week, with flooding a major concern.
“People just really need to stay weather-aware, have a plan and understand that severe storms are possible across portions of the southern Plains almost daily through Saturday,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jonathan Kurtz said.
A wildlife park near Oklahoma City that houses leopards, lions, alligators, tigers and other exotic animals was hit by the storm, prompting fears that tigers had been loosed upon the city.
The animals were all accounted for by late Wedneday, but not before the term “Tigernado” began trending on social media and sparked a storm of memes.
The storms dumped up to 6 inches of rain in the southern part of Oklahoma City, prompting the the city to issue a flash-flood emergency for the first time in its history, said spokeswoman Kristy Yager.
No deaths were immediately reported. At least 16 people were injured after more than a dozen tornadoes struck in Oklahoma, according to local reports. City road crews were waiting for the storms to abate to set up barricades and evaluate trouble spots.
"We'll have a much better picture of how widespread the damage is when the sun comes up tomorrow," meteorologist Forrest Mitchell with the National Weather Service said.
The Emergency Medical Services Authority operating in the city transported 12 patients from a trailer park in south Oklahoma City to local hospitals, spokeswoman Laura O'Leary said.
Two people were injured in a weather-related accident in Moore, and flying debris caused one person to sustain an arm injury, The Oklahoman reported. Another man was taken for medical attention after he was hurt entering a storm shelter.
The twisters flipped vehicles and left power lines strewn across roadways, according to Michael Scotten, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Fire department crews were dispatched to rescue people and ambulances stranded in high water "all over" Oklahoma City, O'Leary said.
More than 10,000 homes and businesses were without power, according to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.Gov. Mary Fallin said she planned to declare a state of emergency to bring in federal assistance, local media reported.
"I think we got lucky," Oklahoma City police spokeswoman Dee Patty said. "We've seen a lot worse come through these same areas."
Flash flood warnings were in effect in two counties in north-Central Texas, where there were reports of tornadoes without damage or injuries, Mitchell said.
At least nine tornadoes swept through Kansas in the sparsely populated north-central part of the state, destroying some homes and a barn. In Nebraska, 10 to 15 homes were damaged near the Kansas border. The Storm Prediction Center warned that more rain was possible later in the week, with flooding a major concern.
“People just really need to stay weather-aware, have a plan and understand that severe storms are possible across portions of the southern Plains almost daily through Saturday,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jonathan Kurtz said.
A wildlife park near Oklahoma City that houses leopards, lions, alligators, tigers and other exotic animals was hit by the storm, prompting fears that tigers had been loosed upon the city.
The animals were all accounted for by late Wedneday, but not before the term “Tigernado” began trending on social media and sparked a storm of memes.
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