Severe storms in Oklahoma leave at least six people injured and tens of thousands without power

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Severe storms and tornadoes struck Oklahoma early Sunday, tossing cars, ripping roofs off buildings in the middle of the night and leaving about 86,000 homes and businesses without power. According to authorities, at least six people were injured.

The extent of the damage became more apparent as day dawned following strong overnight storms that ripped through Oklahoma City, the state capital, and triggered tornado warnings that stretched to the Arkansas border. Local television footage showed downed power lines, demolished walls of houses, overturned vehicles and debris-strewn streets in the neighborhood.

At least six people were transported to hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening, Oklahoma City police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn said.

In the small town of Choctaw, just outside Oklahoma City, authorities said a tornado hit a neighborhood just after midnight. According to Choctaw police, firefighters and police officers went door-to-door checking on the injured and officials opened an elementary school as a shelter.

“There is significant damage to homes in the area,” the department wrote on Facebook.

There was also flooding in some areas and a house caught fire after being struck by lightning.

A handful of emergency shelters — including one opened by the American Red Cross at a casino — are available for displaced people or those without power, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.

Heavy rains caused flooding in some areas, and a house caught fire after being struck by lightning, the authority said.

Oklahoma Heart Hospital South also suffered damage, state health officials said.

The Oklahoma Fire Department said in a Facebook post early Saturday that crews rescued two people who were trapped in an overturned mobile home.

At the University of Oklahoma, school officials had urged students and staff to seek shelter and move to the lowest floor as storms approached campus after midnight. The National Weather Service office in Norman also issued urgent warnings, posting on social media: “If you are in the path of this storm, take cover immediately!”

Parts of Oklahoma remained at risk of heavier rainfall and thunderstorms later Sunday.