COMANCHE COUNTY, Oklahoma –
At least two tornadoes have been confirmed to have touched down during Friday’s round of severe weather.
The first tornado was reported on the ground near Elgin and the HE Bailey Turnpike in Comanche County around 3:30 p.m.
The tornado threat for this storm was south of Chickasha, moving in an east northeasterly direction toward Rush Springs, Ninnekah, Lindsay, Payne and Purcell. Strong winds and hail as large as grapefruits were reported.
A mobile home located near NE Watts Rd. and NE Keeney Rd. was destroyed. It is unclear if anyone was home at the time or if anyone has been injured. Wind gusts of up to 115 mph is also reported to have a flipped a semi on the turnpike in the area of where the tornado was spotted. Some debris was also blown onto the interstate.
The second confirmed rain-wrapped tornado then struck west Ninnekah around 4 p.m. According to radar data, News9’s David Payne estimates this tornado to be potentially an EF-3. Multiple damage reports are coming in from Ninnekah. At least one trailer home was destroyed by this tornado. No injuries have been reported at this time.
State Highway 76 between Blanchard and Lindsey was shut down due to the approaching storm. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also made the decision to shut down I-35, from Tecumseh Rd. in Norman to mile marker 98 in Purcell. OHP re-opened at 5:12 p.m.
As the storm passes through the metro and on east, the damage from the storm is becoming more clear. Several homes and other structures in Ninnekah have been wiped out. A damage total has not yet been determined.
By Matthew Nuttle, News9.com
Picture courtesy Grady County Fire Department
