Over the weekend of April 27th, multiple tornadoes formed and caused damage in Oklahoma.There have been at least four casualties, and over 100 people have been injured throughout Oklahoma from these tornadoes. There were various tornadoes throughout Oklahoma, but the towns of Sulphur and Holdenville were hit the hardest.
Late Saturday night, the town of Sulphur, south of Oklahoma City, was hit by a tornado. This town of 5,000 residents had many homes and stores in downtown wrecked. According to AP News, the tornado also threw cars, buses, and building materials across a 15-block radius. Thirty people had sustained injury in Sulphur, along with one person dying from the tornado. The woman’s body was found amidst the debris in downtown Sulphur. Officials from the white house stated that President Joe Biden had talked with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and had been offered full federal government support. The recent support of the government can enact Sulphur’s recovery efforts quickly. Not only did Suplhur receive full support from the federal government, but other towns affected by tornadoes were also given support.
The town of Holdenville, southeast of Sulphur, was also affected by a tornado. This tornado leveled or damaged more than a dozen homes, injured over four people, and caused two casualties. Among the two who died, one was a four-month-old infant. According to the News On 6, the tornado in Holdenville was classified as an EF-3 tornado. Tornadoes are scaled on a scale of 1-5, with one being the weakest and five being the strongest. At EF-3, the winds the tornado was generating was around 135-165 mph. Although there were not many buildings destroyed in Holdenville, the tornado destroyed homes that had people in them. This is very different from the tornado in Sulphur, which destroyed downtown shops. The recovery efforts are going through smoothly with the help of the police and other personnel. With government support, the town of Holdenville is predicted to pull through.
Additionally, these two locations were just some of those that experienced tornadoes. Over the weekend, the National Weather Service tracked and recorded over 30 tornadoes through Oklahoma. The recovery efforts could be faster, as the towns hit by the tornado had less than 10,000 people living there. As this time of year is prime tornado season, many tornadoes are expected to follow in the coming months. Many citizens who live in tornado valleys have underground bunkers where they can seek protection in the case of a tornado. As the weeks and months pass in Tornado Valley, many more people will be affected.
