Strong storms hit Oklahoma, causing injuries and leaving thousands without power

Strong storms and tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma early Sunday, tossing cars and tearing roofs off buildings in the middle of the night, leaving about 86,000 homes and businesses without power. According to the authorities, at least six people were injured.

The extent of the damage became clearer as the day dawned after powerful overnight storms tore through Oklahoma City, the state capital, and prompted tornado warnings that extended to the Arkansas border. Local television footage showed downed power lines, peeling walls of buildings, overturned vehicles and debris-strewn nearby streets.

At least six people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn said.

In the small town of Choctaw, near Oklahoma City, authorities said a tornado touched down in one of the neighborhoods shortly after midnight. Firefighters and police went door-to-door to ask about injuries, and officials opened an elementary gym as a shelter, according to the Choctaw Police Department.

“There is significant damage to buildings in the area,” the department said on Facebook.

There was also flooding in some areas and one house caught fire due to a lightning strike.

Several shelters, including one set up at the casino by the American Red Cross, are available for displaced residents or those without power, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.

Flooding caused by heavy rains occurred in some areas, and one house caught fire due to a lightning strike, the department said.

Oklahoma Southern Heart Hospital also sustained damage, health officials said.

The Oklahoma Fire Department said in a Facebook post early Saturday that crews rescued two people trapped inside an overturned mobile home.

At the University of Oklahoma, school officials urged students and staff to seek shelter and move downstairs as the storm approached the campus after midnight. The National Weather Service office in Norman also issued urgent warnings, posting on social media: “If you are in the path of this storm, take shelter immediately!”

Parts of Oklahoma remain under threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms later Sunday.