On Wednesday evening, a series of powerful tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma and Texas leaving damaged houses, properties and killing at least two people in Marshall County, Oklahoma, according to authorities.
In Texas, there are reports of widespread damage due to the tornado that landed on several communities of the Polka County. The local government has already dispatched response teams and medical resources to assist affected people.
Large tornado hits Polk County, Texas
According to the New York Times, Polk County in Texas was hit hard by the "extremely dangerous" tornado on Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage to the community. Officials of the National Weather Service had warned residents in the area to take cover immediately as the tornado is moving east at 45 miles per hour.
Furthermore, officials from the Texas Department of Transportation said that the tornado also struck the Yaupon Cave, a subdivision near Onalaska. Many people may be trapped inside their homes due to the damage caused by the tornado. However, there no official reports yet on the matter.
Amanda Price said that her brother-in-law who lives in Vince Drive in Onalaska, first noticed that the pressure felt off and immediately held onto the laundry door as the tornado blew the back door of his house. Some areas near the Onalaska high School have shown substantial damage after the storm.
In his twitter post, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that together with the Texas Division of Emergency Management and other state agencies, they are working with local officials to provide immediate support to people devastated by the tornado. The state has already deployed response teams and medical resources to assist communities.
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Officials opened the Onalaska Junior and Senior High Schools to serve as shelters but when they lost electric power, affected Texans were transferred to Dunbar Gym in Livingston, Texas. The tornado caused extreme damage to power lines in the area leaving 9,000 people without power.
The mayor of Onalaska said that a "significant number" of houses had been damaged or destroyed and the number of people that had been injured remains uncertain. But he noted that "lots of people have been transported to the hospital."
Residents recall their experience with the extremely dangerous twister. Zachary Botley recalls that when he has got off after work when he pulled over at a store on Highway 59 and he saw the cloud forming into a tornado.
"Trees snapped over. Pine trees snapped over. Her roof was gone. Just unbearable," he said. Thankfully, his grandmother was not inside her home.
Tornadoes tear through Oklahoma
Two people were killed and one critically injured in Marshall County Oklahoma when the violent tornado landed on Wednesday.
Robert Chaney, the county's emergency management director said that the winds were so strong and many cars were thrown due to the tornado that some of it ended up in a tree. So far, the tornado damaged at least 12 homes, businesses, and power lines in Marshall County, said by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
Another tornado landed in Gavin County, Oklahoma, about 15 minutes before Marshall County was hit. Three houses, and four or five barns, shops, and outbuildings were damaged, according to David Johnson, the county's emergency management director. Thankfully, no one was injured or killed in the disaster.
