Tornadoes, thunderstorms slam Oklahoma City area, thousands without power

A series of storms produced several tornadoes and significant damage in and around Oklahoma City Sunday morning.
At least 11 people were hospitalized and nearly 100,000 people lost power in the immediate aftermath of the storms in central Oklahoma.
“It leveled a complete neighborhood in Choctaw,” Chad Allcox, mayor of the east OKC suburb, told The Associated Press. “Power lines are down everywhere … a lot of the roads are blocked, hard to get through. Very large trees blocking roadways.”
Though 99,000 people lost power in the storm, that number was down to 34,000 without electricity by midafternoon, authorities said. No deaths were announced.
Cars were overturned, roofs were ripped off homes and trees and power lines were strewn across the ground.
The initial emergency response was delayed by the threat of more storms, as crews tread lightly in fear of having to take cover themselves.
“It was a heavy downpour. We were trying to sweep the area with another possibility of a tornado coming through,” Oklahoma City Fire Department spokesman Scott Douglas said. “So that was in the back of our minds, too.”
Allcox said early warning systems and tornado sirens likely saved lives, with people sheltering on lower floors and in several locations, including a local casino.
In addition to the tornadoes, some areas were affected by flash flooding, and a lightning strike caused a home to catch fire in the northern suburb of Edmond.
The National Weather Service estimated six tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, and more storms were expected on Monday.
With News Wire Services