Oklahoma twisters injure 12, leave thousands without power

CHICAGO, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Crews in central Oklahoma on Monday had been assessing the harm and clearing particles left behind by a string of uncommon February tornadoes that roared by means of the realm in a single day, knocking out power to thousands of consumers and injuring a dozen individuals.

In Norman, 12 individuals had been taken to the hospital after struggling minor accidents within the storms that rolled by means of and close to town at round 11 p.m. native time on Sunday. None of the accidents had been life-threatening, Norman Chief of Police Kevin Foster mentioned throughout a news convention on Monday.

The tornado was considered one of seven that touched down in Oklahoma and two extra had been reported in Kansas in a single day, the National Weather Service mentioned.

Several properties, companies and colleges in Norman, which has about 128,000 residents, had been broken within the storms, he mentioned.

Some 13,000 properties and companies had been without power throughout Oklahoma, Poweroutage.us reported.

Video footage and images of the destruction on native news and social media confirmed power traces mendacity in the midst of roadways, particles strewn throughout neighborhoods and roofs ripped off buildings. One picture confirmed a crimson sedan flipped over and resting on high of one other car.

“A lot of real strong wind,” George Reich, a home-owner in Shawnee, a city east of Oklahoma City, informed an ABC affiliate. “Wood and debris started flying. I jumped in the backseat of a car in the garage real quick.”

Experts say the rising frequency and depth of such storms, interspersed with excessive warmth and dry spells, are signs of local weather change.

“It was pretty rare, historic in the amount” of wind shear, mentioned Bruce Thoren, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Norman, concerning the Oklahoma twisters, noting that the state has seen solely 51 tornadoes in February since 1950.

Four further twisters had been reported in Illinois on Monday morning however none brought about important harm, in accordance with on-line stories by the National Weather Service.

By Monday afternoon, the service had issued a number of further twister advisories for components of Indiana, the place they warned of robust storms and damaging winds all through the day.

“TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building,” the climate service mentioned in a single twister warning for the Indianapolis space on Monday afternoon.

The tough climate comes after days of a winter storm clobbered the U.S. Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes areas. More than 155,000 properties and companies in Michigan remained without power on Monday, Poweroutage.us reported.

Parts of California spent the weekend coping with heavy snows in greater elevations, rain and hail within the flatlands and frigid temperatures in components of the state which are identified of its gentle climate.

Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Angus MacSwanand Sandra Maler

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