At Least Two Dead After Violent Tornado Touches Down in Oklahoma

At least two people were killed after a tornado ripped through an Oklahoma City suburb, Saturday night, as severe weather continues to threaten the state through the Memorial Day weekend.

Officials say 29 people were wounded, some critically, and rescue efforts were currently underway in some areas that had been reduced to rubble, according to El Reno Mayor Matt White. The tornado appeared over a two-mile path, with its estimated strength at an EF2 or EF3. An EF3 tornado can have winds of up to 165 mph.

"It's a pretty devastating sight," White told reporters on Sunday. "It is very traumatic. We are all hands on deck."

Tornado sirens sounded late Saturday night at around 10:27 p.m., just moments before the storm struck the area. Emergency crews could be seen digging through the rubble of a motel where part of the motel's second story had collapsed. Mobile homes in a nearby mobile home park next to the motel were also damaged, as was a nearby car dealership.

The National Weather Service said that according to early reports, the storm was at least an EF2, but its survey was still undeway.

El Reno, Oklahoma, is located about 29 miles west of Oklahoma City and has a population of around 19,000 people.

The danger isn't over with yet. The weather service's Storm Prediction Center said severe thunderstorms, which could produce more tornadoes, are still expected over parts of the central and southern plans Sunday afternoon and evening.

"Strong storms producing very heavy rain continue to move east across central Oklahoma," the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma said on Twitter.

Saturday's storm comes just a few days after intense flooding hit parts of Oklahoma, creating havoc for residents in that part of the state.


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