Overnight tornadoes swept through Kansas and Oklahoma, causing significant damage to buildings and vehicles in their paths. Thousands of homes and businesses lost power as a result of the twisters, and there were several reported injuries.
According to police in Norman, Oklahoma, a dozen people were hospitalized after sustaining injuries during the storms that hit the city and its surrounding areas at approximately 11 p.m. on Sunday. Although none of the injuries were fatal, they were severe enough to require medical attention.
“There was a tremendous wind, really strong,” said George Reich, a resident of Shawnee, which is located to the east of Oklahoma City. In an interview with an ABC affiliate, he added, “Wood and debris were flying everywhere. I quickly took shelter in the backseat of a car parked in the garage.”
Downed power lines and debris blocked many roads, as reported by the police. Poweroutage.us confirmed that roughly 12,000 homes and commercial establishments were without power throughout Oklahoma.
On local television and social media, footage and photographs of the devastation showed power lines scattered across streets, debris thrown across neighborhoods, and roofs ripped off buildings. A crimson automobile was tipped over and lying on top of another vehicle in one photograph.
According to the National Weather Service, nine tornadoes were reported in Kansas and Oklahoma.
The bad weather comes after a winter storm plowed through the Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes areas of the United States. According to Poweroutage.us, over 130,000 homes and businesses in Michigan were still without power on Monday.
The national prediction for Monday includes winds of up to 110 miles per hour in the United States Plains, as well as significant winter storms in California, the Upper Midwest, and New England.
Areas of California were hit with heavy snow in higher elevations, rain and hail in the flatlands, and freezing temperatures in areas famed for their mild weather.
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