Sulphur, Oklahoma – A devastating tornado outbreak in Oklahoma has left at least three people dead, including an infant, as severe storms threaten more twisters, heavy rain, and large hail from Missouri to Texas on Sunday. Multiple large and extremely dangerous tornadoes were reported on the ground simultaneously across parts of Oklahoma overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Two deaths occurred in Holdenville, and the third near Marietta on I-35, according to Keli Cain, public affairs director for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma issued an emergency disaster declaration and will be touring storm damage in the Murray County town of Sulphur and Holdenville. There were reports of injuries, property damage, flooding, downed power lines, and trees across several counties Saturday night, with the extent of the damage still unclear on Sunday. Sulphur, located about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City, saw injuries and impacts from at least two large tornadoes overnight, as a flood warning was issued for the city by the weather service.
Nearly 47 million people are at risk for severe weather on Sunday from east Texas northward into the Upper Mississippi River Valley, with cities like Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Topeka, and the Kansas City metropolitan area on high alert for strong tornadoes as storms push eastward across the southern Plains. More than 7 million people are under tornado watches early Sunday, stretching more than 800 miles from Texas to southern Wisconsin, with the watch areas set to expire between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. CT.
The weather service reported multiple tornadoes crossing Oklahoma’s Highway 9 between Goldsby and Blanchard simultaneously late Saturday, adding to the chaos as a tornado approached Norman, prompting the University of Oklahoma to warn students and staff to seek shelter immediately. The state’s emergency operations center was activated on Saturday, urging residents to stay weather aware and prepared for severe storms.
In addition to the tornadoes, storms have brought heavy rainfall that could exacerbate the life-threatening situation, leading to flash flood warnings in Texas, including Dallas, Johnson, Parker, and Tarrant counties. The Storm Prediction Center has raised the severe storm threat level for Sunday, with unsettled weather expected to continue across the midsection of the country into Monday. With reports of over 80 tornadoes across at least five states on Friday alone, the devastation caused by these storms serves as a grim reminder of the unpredictability and destructive power of nature.