Tulsa, Okla., residents woke up to the devastation of an EF2 tornado that hit the town overnight, reportsĀ FOX23.
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12:50pm – Survey team confirms tornado damage across central Tulsa. EF2 intensity also confirmed. Survey continues.
— NWS Tulsa (@NWStulsa) August 6, 2017
The tornado hit shortly after 1 AM, destroying multiple businesses. There was no early indication of the tornado’s appearance and officials say it moved on before a warning could be sent to residents.
“It’s a highly commercial area with a lot of people normally in there. There’s a mall, there’s a movie theater, a TGI Fridays,” saidĀ Tulsa spokeswoman Kim Meloy. Meloy said that the timing was ideal considering hundreds, if not thousands of people occupied the commercial area during the day.
Over 15,000 residents lost power. A reported 39 were hospitalized or treated for storm-related injuries.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum thanked emergency services for their part in saving lives and informed the public how they might go about helping:
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The extensive damage was captured on several Facebook Lives, courtesy of various KTUL reporters:
The tornado was described as an “exceptionally fast-moving storm.”