Central Oklahoma Tornadoes Kill 3, Cause Widespread Damage

A tornado outbreak on in central Oklahoma left three people dead and caused heavy damage Wednesday night.

Three fatalities were reported in McClain County, where a tornado hit the town of Cole. Another tornado touched down in Shawnee, causing damage to roofs of homes and businesses.

Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, reported substantial damage to buildings throughout campus, though no injuries were reported on campus.

University president Heath Thomas told KOCO that the school suffered the worst natural disaster in its history.

“Last night, the OBU campus experienced the worst national disaster in its 113-year history,” Thomas said. “Buildings can be rebuilt, what I’m really happy to report is we have no reported injuries and no reported fatalities.”

The same storm system that spawned the tornadoes Wednesday is expected to bring severe thunderstorms across the central United States Thursday, according to the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Damaging winds and large hail should be the primary hazards, the Storm Prediction Center said, with a few tornadoes possible, especially across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Oklahoma