Authorities confirmed that a man and a woman were killed in two separate incidents as a deadly storm ripped across Oklahoma.
The body of a 55-year-old man was found Wednesday inside his vehicle in Tulsa after it was inundated in floodwaters on the evening of Tuesday, April 30. As of this writing, the man is yet to be identified.
The vehicle was reported missing at around 8 in the evening, when water in the area was up to 20 feet deep. A passerby saw the car Wednesday morning.
Officials in Bryan County also reported the death of a 58-year-old woman after her home was destroyed by high winds near Bokchito, around 160 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Her identity has not been released yet as of this writing.
The National Weather Service (NWS) says at least 16 tornadoes were reported on April 30, 2019 in Oklahoma alone. Severe thunderstorms also spawned numerous tornadoes across northern Texas and Arkansas.
According to the State Department of Health, hospitals in southeast Oklahoma recorded 22 people were injured because of the storm.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency on May 1 for 52 Oklahoma counties as a result of the extreme weather, and state officials activated Oklahoma’s emergency operations center to coordinate with first responders.
The National Weather Service also reports that an enhanced risk of extreme weather is to be expected across south-central Oklahoma and parts of Northern Texas, with heavy rain expected to bring flooding and damaging winds of up to 70 mph, along with tornadoes and hail.
With the high probability of tornadoes appearing in the South and Midwest, take precautions before a twister comes in. Check your go-bags and tools and make sure they’re in good condition.
Store enough food and water for at least three days and make sure everyone in your family is in on your emergency plan in case things go from bad to worse.
For more tips on how to survive a tornado, check out this article from American Survival Guide: Tornado Survival 101.