3 Dead After 'Erratic' Tornado Hits Oklahoma and Causes 'Significant' Damage to College Campus

Three people have died after a strong tornado tore through central Oklahoma on Wednesday.

TheMcClain County Sheriff’s Officesays the twister touched down west of 260th Street and MacArthur Avenue in Cole around 7:30 p.m. local time. The town saw “the most significant damage,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials said the storm also tore through the Towns of Dibble, where two people were killed, and Shawnee, where a college campus was damaged.

Governor Kevin Stittconfirmed the three deathsin a Tweet shared late Thursday morning. “As we come together in prayer for all those affected, we’re working diligently to assess the damage and restore our communities,” Stitt wrote.

A survey crew near Cole found a home with damage indicative of an EF3 tornado, according tothe National Weather Service(NWS). An investigation into the twister is ongoing.

TheNWSwarned everyone in the area to take shelter from the “erratic” storm, which changed direction on more than one occasion.

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Athird reported fatalityoccurred in a separate county, the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The victim was transported to a medical facility in McClain County after sustaining “fatal injuries from the storm.”

Crews searched every building and made sure “everyone was accounted for,” Stitt said while standing in front of an uprooted tree on campus.

No injuries were reported on OBU’s campus, which sustained “significant” damage during the storm, according toa Facebook postfrom the university.

Classeswere later canceledfor both Thursday and Friday, andtemporary housinghas been made available to those in need, the school said.

Employees at a Papa John’s Pizza in Shawnee sheltered in a walk-in freezer, according to theAssociated Press.

source: people.com