Still reeling from the deadly EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20, Oklahoma City residents braced themselves for another powerful — though luckily less destructive — onslaught of twisters on Friday, May 31. As of Saturday, at least nine people were reported dead, including a mother and her baby. More than 100 people were injured, including Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes, whose SUV was thrown 200 yards.
(PHOTOS: Multiple Tornadoes Strike Oklahoma City Area)
In the above video, storm chasers Brandon Sullivan and Brett Wright of Wicked Wind Media captured the storm’s intensity from their vantage point in Union City, Okla. The team’s YouTube page explains:
The team was hit by inflow jet winds into the tornado and their vehicle received damage as a barn was completely destroyed. A hay bale came barreling across the road and was tossed into their car.. The team is very fortunate to live to chase another day.
Another video shows a massive funnel cloud touching down in the nearby town of El Reno:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uK-IIpgTPk]
Following the tornadoes, flash floods swept through the area, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach those who were stranded in their cars. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies helped with 10 high-water rescues overnight. The area reported around 7 inches of rainfall in only a few hours, bringing the state’s overall total for May to 13.68 inches, according to the Weather Channel. Watch footage of the flooding here:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1amQI0fPPE]
Officials are spending Saturday assessing the storm’s damage and attempting to restore power to 86,000 customers.
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