Six die in Oklahoma tornadoes
The deadliest outbreak of tornadoes in Oklahoma since 1999 killed at least
six people, including an infant, in Picher on Saturday.
The death
toll has moved down from seven to six. The Oklahoman’s Michael Kimball and
Sheila Stogsdill are reporting.
The south end of Picher has been destroyed.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown said the infant died at a Tulsa
hospital and five adults were found dead in Picher. Identifying those killed
could take up to a week..
There are many people missing, but authorities could not give an estimate
given the extent of the damage.
At least a dozen ambulances were seen leaving the area shortly after the
twister struck. Utility poles were snapped in half in the area and car
windshields were blown out.
More than 30 people were transported to Integris Baptist Hospital in the
nearby town of Miami. Of those, more than 20 were treated and released.
At least five tornadoes in all touched down Saturday in northern and eastern
Oklahoma.
The Picher tornado is Oklahoma’s deadliest since the May 3, 1999, tornadoes
that killed 44 people in Oklahoma.
Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency late Saturday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Picher and all of the other
Oklahoma communities that have been impacted by the latest wave of severe
weather,” Henry said in a statement.
Federal and state officials will be on the scene Sunday or Monday to see if
the area qualifies for disaster relief assistance.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said he would work with Henry to get the area
declared a federal disaster area.
“I was down in Moore, Oklahoma, about 9 years ago and it was nothing like
this,” Inhofe said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
In all, at least 20 people have been killed in Oklahoma, Missouri and
Georgia.
The same storm system that ravaged Picher, also killed 12 in southwest
Missouri, according to the National Weather Service. Ten of the dead were
killed when a twister struck near Seneca, about 20 miles southeast of
Picher, near the Oklahoma border.
sharedVideo(1548122869)
OU QB to transfer
From The Oklahoman’s Jake Trotter:
Keith Nichol kept insisting he was staying at Oklahoma. But in the end, the sophomore quarterback has decided to split.
sharedVideo(1545128506)
Afternoon update: Sooners vs Washington on ESPN
Authorities are looking for this man, last seen walking to the residence of an Okmulgee woman found dead in her home last week.
Gov. Brad Henry has signed a bill to combat childhood obesity by doubling the amount of class time devoted to physical activity and nutrition programs for the state’s youngest students.
A survey of 49 large cities by AAA says Tulsa is the least expensive travel destination. Oklahoma City is the fourth least expensive location.
Two girls injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident Sunday night are in fair condition today at OU Medical Center.
Oklahoma’s first road trip of the season at Washington will be on national television. The game will be televised by ESPN with kickoff beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Expect lows in the 60s tonight, with a chance of thunderstorms. highs around 80 tomorrow in the OKC area.
sharedVideo(1539384926)
Video: OU Red White game
Two notes:
1) Sooner content drives huge traffic on NewsOK. So does OSU, breaking news and weather. But the Sooners typically pull large page views and video views.
And they drive large amounts of comments from Sooner fans. Check out this comment from today’s OU Red White game.
John from Destin notes “The only TD by the first offense was called by a fan….that inspires confidence….”
Here’s what John (from Destin) is referring to:
The Sooners’ first-team offense scored its only touchdown on a 51-yard pass from Bradford to tight end Jermaine Gresham on a play called by fan Shae Farmer, who got the chance to call a series of plays by with the winning bid of $2,900 in an auction benefiting the athletic department.
2) See for yourself. Watch Damon Fontenot’s video from Norman.
“Dominique Franks and the Sooners defense grab six interceptions and return three for touchdowns in Saturday’s spring finale.”
sharedVideo(1500236296)
Video: Bob Stoops uncut
One of the most popular videos on NewsOK is simply people, namely athletes, in their own words.
Damon Fontenot was in Norman on Saturday for the Red-White game as the Sooners played before more than 20,000 fans. Here is the OU coach uncut:
sharedVideo(1501199689)
Blake to stay at OU; Malcolm Kelly upset with OU
A busy and gloomy day in Oklahoma City. Here’s a quick update:
A severe storm system is shoving its way through Oklahoma this afternoon, bringing high chances for flooding in a state that’s already drenched.
Damaging wind, hail and tornadoes are also a possibility today. The storm system isn’t expected to leave the state until Thursday evening.
American Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights Wednesday, more than one-third of its schedule, as it spent a second straight day inspecting the wiring on some of its jets – the same issue that caused it to scrub hundreds of flights two weeks ago. The nation’s biggest airline had already canceled 460 flights on Tuesday, stranding thousands of travelers. Federal inspectors found problems with wiring work done two weeks ago, although the airline says passenger safety was never jeopardized.
Oklahoma freshman Blake Griffin announced Wednesday that he will return to OU for his sophomore season rather than make himself eligible for the NBA Draft.
Meanwhile, tormer Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly didn’t have the pro day performance Wednesday that he wanted. And he’s putting some of the blame on OU. Kelly, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds, said he wasn’t told by the OU strength staff until this morning that the location of the pro day had been moved from Astroturf in the Mosier Center to field turf inside the Everest Indoor Training Center.
Ray Harper has resigned as Oklahoma City University’s basketball coach, after guiding the Stars to consecutive NAIA titles and three straight national championship games.
If big bucks are needed to fend off Oklahoma State and keep Bill Self as the Jayhawks’ basketball coach, wealthy Kansas donors seem ready to reach for their wallet.
That’s it for now. Stay with NewsOK for the latest news and information.
sharedVideo(1496480608)
