Tornado-Generating Storm Brings Lethal Weather to Oklahoma and Texas

An active and sluggish storm system brought significant rainfall, large hail, and tornadoes to portions of Texas and Oklahoma, resulting in three fatalities as severe weather alerts continue to loom over parts of the south-central and Midwest United States on Sunday.

On Easter Sunday, residents in Texas and Oklahoma began to evaluate the aftermath of the tornadoes. A total of 17 tornado events were reported on Saturday, according to Bob Oravec, the lead forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Five were confirmed in south-central Oklahoma, including one that caused extensive damage to a small town that was still in recovery from a tornado in March.

The storm also delivered heavy rainfall across a wide area of north-central Texas and central-eastern Oklahoma, with many locations receiving between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) from Saturday to Sunday.

Authorities in Moore, located approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, received numerous reports of incidents involving high water over the weekend, including two vehicles trapped in floodwaters on Saturday evening. One vehicle was swept away beneath a bridge, and while police managed to rescue some individuals, a woman and a 12-year-old boy were later found deceased.

“This was a historic weather event that affected roadways and resulted in numerous high-water incidents throughout the city,” stated the Moore police in an announcement on Sunday. Moore has a population of around 63,000.

Another life was lost about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast in Spaulding when a tornado touched down, according to Hughes County Emergency Management. The department highlighted on Facebook that several homes and structures were destroyed, along with “numerous washouts” on county roads.

The National Weather Service indicated that preliminary damage assessments revealed that the tornado was at least an EF1, with wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 mph (138 to 177 kph), similarly for another tornado in Love County, situated south of Oklahoma City.

Oravec noted that the storm system exhibited little movement over Texas and Oklahoma on Saturday, resulting in the area being ensconced in a very active thunderstorm pattern that generated large hail, flash floods, and tornadoes.

Bill Macon, director of emergency management in Marshall County, Oklahoma, mentioned that early evaluations indicated a tornado “skipped and jumped around” along a path of 6 to 7 miles (approximately 10 to 11 kilometers) in rural areas, damaging at least 20 homes, some of which were completely destroyed.

Macon added that most residents were at home when the late-night tornado struck, downing “huge” trees, along with numerous electrical poles and power lines, yet there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.

“We take those warnings very seriously down here in Oklahoma,” stated Macon regarding the alerts from the National Weather Service.

Moreover, a town in Oklahoma that was still undergoing repairs from an earlier tornado in early March faced another storm late Saturday. The northern side of Ada, a community of about 16,000 residents, incurred damage suggesting at least an EF1 tornado according to initial surveys. Social media showcased roofs torn off businesses, shattered storefront windows, and displaced billboards.

In a video posted on Facebook, Jason Keck, Ada’s emergency management director, stated that the tornado appeared to have crossed the northern part of town toward a shopping center, “causing considerable damage to buildings, power lines, and trees.”

A clothing store experienced “severe damage,” as reported by The Ada News, although it was “flanked on both sides by intact structures.”

At least two tornadoes traversed west Parker County, Texas, on Saturday, as evidenced by posts from the county’s emergency services on Facebook. Emergency teams responded to multiple homes with roofs torn off and structures exposed, with photographs illustrating the aftermath. One detached roofing piece ended up crushed across a driveway.

Later on Sunday, the storm system progressed more quickly northeast but remained active, with forewarnings of hail, high winds, and heavy rainfall affecting Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, and southeastern Iowa. Thousands in Missouri were reported to be without power.

By late Sunday afternoon, heavy rainfall began to diminish in Texas and Oklahoma; however, additional precipitation is forecast for various sections of the Plains this week, according to Oravec. Given the already saturated grounds and swollen streams, the risk of further flooding remains a concern.

By Hannah Fingerhut