Weather
Damaging Tornadoes Rip Through Texas, Oklahoma
No serious injuries have been reported, but more storms are expected in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas on Thursday.
SEMINOLE, OK — Dangerous tornadoes swept through north Texas and Oklahoma on Wednesday night, causing significant damage and leaving thousands without power.
Seminole, Oklahoma, about 50 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, was hit by a storm for the second time in three days and sustained heavy damage as a tornado moved through north Seminole County just after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
No serious injuries have been reported, but more than 11,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma as of 10 a.m. Thursday, including more than 7,000 in Seminole County.
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There are many downed power lines in Seminole, city officials said. Disaster relief teams from the American Red Cross and Salvation Army are providing food and shelter at the Haney Center, and Seminole First Baptist also is setting up a shelter.
The Academy of Seminole, a charter school, took a direct hit from the tornado and is closed while school officials assess the damage, the school said in a social media post.
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Video from KOCO News 5 shows a tornado damaging a marijuana farm in Maud, Oklahoma.
In Texas, a tornado was spotted Wednesday near Lockett, around 170 miles northwest of Dallas, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado caused damage to homes and barns, Wilbarger County officials told KAUZ TV. Damage assessment was difficult in the aftermath of the storm because of the lack of light along with downed power lines, officials said.
Another tornado was spotted in Cottle County near Paducah. Video of the storm from storm chaser Jordan Carruthers shows the massive tornado forming and causing a wall of dust as it moves across a highway.
More storms are expected across Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas on Thursday, according to forecasters. The Oklahoma City metro area was under a thunderstorm threat with chances of high, gusty winds and pingpong ball-size hail Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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