Nighttime Tornadoes Bring Tragedy and Destruction to Oklahoma Communities

Tornadoes that attacked multiple Oklahoma communities over the weekend were especially hazardous because they struck after dark, catching residents off guard as they tore through houses and businesses, uprooted trees, and threw cars.

The storms, part of a severe weather outbreak in the midsection of the United States, began in Oklahoma late Saturday and killed four people, including a newborn, while injuring at least 100 others, according to authorities. The devastating weather in Oklahoma followed scores of tornadoes that ripped through Iowa and Nebraska on Friday, killing one person.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Smith, at least 22 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, with the most powerful ripping through Holdenville, Marietta, and Sulphur. These tornadoes were classified as EF3 or higher, indicating that they were powerful enough to uproot or shatter big trees, remove roofs and tear down walls of well-built homes, and easily toss cars and heavy trucks. They were especially hazardous because they struck after 10 p.m.

“It’s human nature to want to see the tornado before you take action,” he added. “And you’re not going to be able to see these tornadoes at night.” A tornado ripped into Sulphur, a community of roughly 5,000 people south of Oklahoma City, destroying numerous downtown buildings, tossing vehicles and buses, and shearing roofs off houses within a 15-block radius.

“We live less than a mile away, but last night it took us more than an hour to get here,” said Kathy John, publisher of the Sulphur Times-Democrat, who spent Monday assisting her workers in moving equipment from the downtown newsroom to her neighboring house.

The publication has not missed a printing in 82 years, she claimed, and “we’re not going to do it now.”

According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, hospitals throughout the state reported approximately 100 injuries, including those who seemed to have been cut or injured by debris. A newborn was among those slain, Hughes County Emergency Management Director Mike Dockrey said Oklahoma news station KOCO.

White House sources said President Joe Biden called Stitt on Sunday and expressed the federal government’s complete support.

A 1930s natural springs fountain in Sulphur, which is a showpiece of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, continued to pump on Monday, but the surrounding environment was ravaged. Giant trees that shaded the park were uprooted and broken, leaving limbs scattered across the forest floor.

The sound of chainsaws resonated through neighborhoods as residents cut down fallen trees that were obstructing access to their homes. A creek that passes through town was overflowing with filthy water from the weekend storms. The area was also hammered by heavy rain, and many homeowners spent Monday digging through wet things or pumping standing water from basements.

“How do you rebuild it?” “This is complete devastation,” said Kelly Trussell, a lifelong Sulphur local, as she assessed the wreckage. “It is crazy, you want to help but where do you start?”

Carolyn Goodman drove to Sulphur from nearby Ada in search of her former sister-in-law, who she claimed was at a local pub right before the tornado struck. Gov. Kevin Stitt said one of the deceased was discovered inside a pub, but investigators had yet to identify those slain.

“The bar was destroyed,” Goodman explained. “I know they probably won’t find her alive … but I hope she is still alive.” A tornado in Holdenville killed two people and damaged or destroyed over a dozen homes, according to the Hughes County Emergency Medical Service. Another individual was killed on Interstate 35 near Marietta, in southern Oklahoma, according to state officials.

Stitt announced a state of emergency in 12 counties on Sunday in response to the extreme weather.

Jackalyn Wright, who was sheltering from the storm in the Sulphur High School gym, said she and her family heard what sounded like a helicopter as the tornado hit.

Chad Smith, 43, said people rushed into the gym as the wind got up. The downpour intensified, and the doors banged shut. “Just give me a beer and a lawn chair and I will sit outside and watch it,” he added. Instead, he took cover.