The threat of tornadoes remains in Oklahoma following devastating storms over the weekend

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunderstorms and possible tornadoes continued to be forecast Monday for the south-central U.S., including Oklahoma, where a weekend twister injured at least 11 people, damaged homes and left thousands without power, officials said.

Flood and tornado warnings were in place across central and eastern Oklahoma as forecasters expected more rain to flood the storm-ravaged state. The flood warnings covered Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

Multiple tornadoes damaged at least 100 homes late Saturday and Sunday, while flooding trapped people in their cars and uprooted trees and tangled power lines. Lightning strikes set a home on fire in Tulsa County, about 100 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an emergency declaration for six counties affected by the storms. At a news conference Sunday, he said one of the state’s top priorities will be restoring power at polling places before Election Day.

More than 12,200 homes and businesses across central and eastern Oklahoma were in the dark early Monday morning, compared to the nearly 82,000 people without power Sunday morning, according to a USA TODAY outage tracker.

The governor urged residents to monitor weather updates Monday as forecasters expect more severe weather. “As an Oklahoman, as a fourth-generation Oklahoman, sometimes you think, ‘Man, it could never hit me,’ but you have to be really, really careful,” he said.

In Oklahoma City, Krystal Kearns was in her home when a tornado siren began wailing. Her dog jumped into her bed and she heard a window break. After the storm passed, she was shocked at the damage.

“My pavilion is up in that tree,” Kearns told the Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network. The storm destroyed her garden, destroyed her fence and drove a piece of wood into her new roof.

“How do you even have any sense of normality out here right now? We found part of a bumper here. “My shed is still standing,” Kearns said. “I don’t know how this happened.”

Where did the tornadoes land?

Rick Smith, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said Sunday that at least five tornadoes had formed across the state.

“It’s unusual to have such strong tornadoes after midnight at any time of year, especially in November,” he said. “We always tell people that tornado season runs from January 1st to December 31st. It can happen at any time if you do the right thing.” Ingredients.”

The National Weather Service released tornado ratings for at least three devastating hurricanes over the weekend. In Norman, a college town southeast of Oklahoma City with a population of 128,000, an EF3 tornado was estimated to have touched down in the area. Such a tornado is considered “strong” and can produce winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour.

Tornado damage near Newcastle, a community southwest of Oklahoma City, was rated EF1. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City, a damage survey estimated that an EF3 tornado struck a community southeast of downtown.

The expanded Fujita scale that meteorologists use to classify tornadoes ranges from zero to five. It takes into account estimated wind speeds, observed damage, and damage detected in Weather Service post-tornado surveys.

Flooding rain is forecast for the central US through Election Day

The National Weather Service said a series of storms sweeping across Oklahoma would drench the state in heavy rain and trigger possible tornadoes Monday and overnight into Tuesday, forecasters say.

An elevated risk of severe thunderstorms remains in eastern Oklahoma, “where damaging winds, large hail and some tornadoes are most likely,” according to the Weather Prediction Center. Large parts of the state were still drenched from the weekend’s storms, increasing the risk of rising rivers and flooded roads.

“Flash flooding remains likely as levels could exceed 5 inches locally,” the weather forecast center said.

The danger of strong thunderstorms was not limited to the southern United States. The weather service said storms could devastate communities from North Texas to Illinois. On Election Day, the worst weather conditions will be concentrated in parts of Arkansas, Texas, the Mississippi Valley and the Midwest, the weather service said.

“Those waiting in line outside to vote on Tuesday need to be prepared for the threat of lightning and heavy rain,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.

By the time the storms move out of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma on Tuesday, between 20 and 30 centimeters of rain are expected to have fallen, according to AccuWeather, with amounts of up to 45 centimeters possible locally.

On Wednesday, the storms are expected to move east, bringing heavy rain to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.

Contributors: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Thao Nguyen and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Where did the tornadoes land?

Flooding rain is forecast for the central US through Election Day

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