Oklahoma tornado death toll rises as stunned survivors say they ‘never thought’ there would be so much damage

Death tolls are on the rise as a downtown stretch of an Oklahoma community was wiped out by a barrage of tornados this weekend.

Drone video shows some of the catastrophic damage – as communities like Sulphur and Holdenville were the hardest hit. A total of five people, including an infant, have been declared dead.

The towns account for three of those five deaths – as fatalities were also recorded on I-35 and in a city in Iowa. Twisters in those states – as well as Nebraska and Texas – have destroyed hundreds of homes.

As much of the damage from the storms remains to be seen, it’s been revealed one of the Holdenville victims was a four-month-old baby.

An hour away, as parts of a once bustling West Muskogee Avenue were left unrecognizable in Sulphur, local business owners spoke out about the EF-3-level disaster they had just survived.

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‘I just never dreamed it would do this much damage,’ boutique boss Julie Cox told Good Morning American Sunday, hours after a tornado tore through the area.

‘Just devastation,’ she added, as businesses, including restaurants, art boutiques and gift shops, laid razed behind her.

‘I mean, I have a lot of friends that own [stores] on this whole street,’ she said, visibly distraught.

‘We’re all like family here.’

‘Definitely the most damage since I’ve been governor that I’ve seen,’ added Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, at a press conference where he revealed at least one person in the town of 5,000 had died.

‘I’ve seen a lot of damage. I’ve been around the state for, this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable.’

Others like Christy Morris, the owner of the Mix Mercantile on the same savaged street, awoke Sunday to find their business in a state of disaster.

The clothing and home goods seller’s store, like several others’, is no more, as the owner provided proof to Fox Weather with images of the destruction she came across in the daylight.

NWS survey teams, meanwhile, reported damage consistent with an EF-3 tornado, as they continued to sift through debris in a search for survivors, though most are believed to be accounted for.

Stitt issued a statement Sunday morning: ‘My prayers are with those who lost loved ones as tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma last night. 

‘Thank you to Oklahoma Emergency Management and those who have worked through the night to keep Oklahomans safe and have worked to clear debris.’

Hours earlier, Stitt declared a state of emergency in 12 counties, as numerous towns including Sulphur suffered significant damage by the weather outbreak. 

He said about 30 people were injured in Sulphur, at the conference called in the town, the Idaho Press reported.

‘You just can’t believe the destruction,’ Stitt said, echoing his earlier statement. ‘It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.’ 

The city famed for its mineral springs set around 65 miles southwest of Holdenville was not alone, though, with nearby Marietta, Ardmore, Holdenville, Mills Creek and Dickson all also hit.

Videos from each of the towns, all struck by the same stormy weather that savaged the Sooner State Saturday, demonstrate the destruction.

Another two deaths occurred in Holdenville, and another on a stretch of Interstate 35 near Marietta, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed in a statement. 

Tornadoes spotted in each city were part of the more than 100 that have surfaced in the US over three days, hitting the American heartland and putting millions under severe weather threat. 

One of the Holdenville victims was a four-month-old baby, reports from The Washington Post and KOCO went on to reveal – as the identities of the othher deceased remain unknown.

One more death was reported in Minden, Iowa, Saturday, after a man died from injuries sustained during a tornado outbreak seen on Friday, the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department confirmed.

The man – whose age was not immediately provided – suffered unspecified injuries after becoming trapped in his basement, as a massive wedge tornado swept through the streets overhead. 

First responders were able to free him and rushed him to a hospital late Friday. Media reports listed him as stable, but he succumbed to his injuries Saturday night.

 Millions more are still bracing for more severe weather further South, with the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dallas and Texas all potentially being affected.

Marietta, moreover, suffered damage to its hospital, according to the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management – as members of he Chickasaw Nation have been forced to step in amid an all-hands-on deck response.

In total, Oklahoman authorities have confirmed at least four deaths so far during the severe weather, with Silt confirming the fourth Oklahoma death in Sulphur on Sunday. 

More to follow…