Well I blew that forecast! Currently there is a train of supercell storms marching across Oklahoma and now developing down in to Texas. While not a closed “line” per say, the storms are closely spaced and moving quickly to the northeast. Several have the potential for producing tornadoes at this time!
At least one tornado has been confirmed by storm chaser Jeff Snyder, who reports it was on the ground for 10 min. It appears at this time this tornado struck Edmond, OK with a large area without power and damage reports coming in. As of this writing no injuries have been reported.
3 tornado watches are currently in effect in Oklahoma and Texas at this time. These storms are also producing hail as large as tennis balls.
I will update this post on the tornado damage as I get more firm information.
UPDATE 4:32pm CST: Reports are schools in the area stopped school buses and kids were held in the schools. No reports of schools being hit at this time. Hearing reports of roofs torn off houses and similar damage. Power lines and tree limbs down all over the area hindering efforts for emergency crews to get in the area.
UPDATE 5:00pm CST: Initial touchdown appears to have been in the Rockwall & NW Expressway. Tornado appears to have lifted then and touched down some distance northeast of there, perhaps in the Quail Springs area? Rockwall & 150th area is being mentioned a lot. No serious injury reports surfacing yet. A good portion of northern Oklahoma City area is without power. Report is there might have been a multiple vortex tornado south of Stillwater as well. This is all still VERY breaking news info and subject to inaccuracies.
UPDATE 5:11pm CST: Associate Press is reporting six homes were damaged or destroyed near Edmond. No casualties were immediately reported. Schoolchildren were being kept in locked down schools until the storm passed. Some structural damage was also reported in northwest Oklahoma City. One wall of a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant collapsed and windows were blown out, but no injuries were reported. Signs were stripped and cars were damaged in the parking lot. Power lines, debris and debris littered an intersection in northwest Oklahoma City, and motorists were told to stay in their cars until crews could clear the power lines. Oklahoma Gas and Electric spokesman Brian Alford said about 14,000 customers lost power. Lara O’Leary, a spokeswoman for Emergency Management Services Authority, said one injury had been reported so far. The person was cut by from a window.
UPDATE: 7:37pm CST: Appears we have another confirmed tornado in Montague County, TX with one structure reported destroyed.
UPDATE: 9:08 PM CST: Lone Grove, OK in southern OK near Ardmore has been hit with a devatating tornado. Early reports from the Highway Patrol are that there are fatalities. No word on numbers yet. Easrly reports are a trailer park may have been destroyed as well as the UPS facility.
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CST: 3 confirmed dead and up to 50 injured in the Lone Grove tornado.
Tags: edmond, february 10 2009, montague county, oklahoma, severe weather, texas, tornadoes