Multiple tornadoes wreaked havoc across the Oklahoma City metro area early this morning, severely damaging structures and transportation networks, including Newcastle Elementary School. According to reports from KFOR, the school, which lay in the path of the overnight tornadoes, was particularly affected, as highlighted by footage from KFOR Pilot Mason Dunn, who captured the extent of the devastation firsthand. Damage was widespread, with varying levels of impact throughout the central Oklahoma region.
Infrastructure was notably affected, including a disruption on northbound Interstate 35, where flooding narrowed traffic to a single lane at Northeast 50th Street in Oklahoma City, causing significant transportation delays. Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes, as reported by News 9. Homes and vehicles sustained considerable damage, and the Oklahoma City Police specified that structures along Sooner Road faced extensive damage due to the storms, with the road temporarily closed due to obstructions from fallen trees and power lines.
Aaron Martinez, who resides near Southeast 89th and Sooner Road, described the scene in his neighborhood to News 9 as apocalyptic, noting "chunks out of" one house and significant destruction to his neighbor's property, mentioning, "Both of her garages are busted open." He remarked on the disturbing speed of the event, saying, "Very quick, there was no alarm, no nothing." Across Oklahoma City, police reported that "several" structures were compromised and there were injuries, though non-life-threatening, resulting in five hospital transports.
As the situation progressed, KOCO 5 News provided live updates indicating that the National Weather Service confirmed seven tornadoes had touched down, a number that could rise, and recounted a harrowing experience of a local man whose home was hit, saying his front window and door blew out when he was sitting on his porch and took shelter as the storm intensified; he was left struggling to process the chaos that unfolded.
The storms also left their mark in the Harrah and Choctaw regions, where residents reported damage and emergency responses were in full swing as authorities dealt with the immediate aftermath. There were reports of residents trapped in their vehicles in Valley Brook, as per information from News 9. Crews were diligently working to clear roadways and assess damage in affected areas like Horseshoe Lake and Blanchard, but specifics in those locations were yet to be determined as assessments continued.
