Monday, April 6, 2015

TORNADO STRUCK IN OTTAWA COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. 3 HOMES AND 5 PUBLIC STRUCTURES DAMAGED









APRIL 3, 2015

AFTON, OKLAHOMA

"It was one of the craziest things, I'd never really respected tornadoes until this happened. And I sure do now," said Dillon Wheatley, Afton resident.

After a tornado warning was issued for the city at 10:03 last night, the Wheatley family took cover. The National Weather Service Confirmed the tornado struck on the Ottawa County line between East 240 Road and 520 Road.

"It was on the ground, I'd say a couple of miles over there. It did quite a little bit of damage," said Joe Dan Morgan, Ottawa County Emergency Management Director.

The Ottawa County emergency management director says the roof was blown off of at least three houses, and five total structures were damaged. 

"Everybody was safe over here because they had prior notice," said Morgan. 

Wheatley says their barns, auto-shop, and a stock trailer were damaged, but their house is still standing. 

"It's pretty obvious, you know, everything around us is demolished and damaged, except for the house. And you know, it's just, you know, an act of God. His guardian angels," said Tracy Wheatley, Afton resident.

"I was just glad that nobody got hurt, because it was just material stuff. I mean, it's nothing that can't be replaced," said Dillon Wheatley. 

The National Weather Service is in town surveying the damage to determine the strength of the storm. Those results have not been released at this time. 

That same storm system is responsible for whipping winds that flipped two semi trucks on Interstate 44 between Vinita and Afton last night. Storm chasers reported sheet metal blowing in the median. No one was injured when the trucks flipped. It took crews several hours to clear the interstate.