A tornado touched down near the Tulsa International Airport on Tuesday, leaving at least one injured and about a dozen houses damaged amid heavy storms in the Southern Plains.
The whirlwind buffeted the area in the midst of storms with winds and rains that caused the closure of highways and overturned tents on a road course.
Storms could generate more tornadoes and flash floods in parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The Monday night storms overturned tents at the Lucas Oil Circuit in Hickory County, leaving seven injured, four of whom were taken to hospitals. The bleachers of the circuit were also destroyed, causing the cancellation of the race this weekend that supposedly was going to gather about 3,000 people. No more details were given about the injured.
The Tuesday morning tornado in Tulsa did not damage the airport but passengers were taken to shelters for about 30 minutes, according to spokesman Andrew Pierini. Numerous flights were canceled or postponed due to the storms.
The tornado made landfall at about 6:30 in the morning, about six kilometers (four miles) from the airport.
“We had to rescue a man who was trapped under a tree this morning,” said Kim MacLeod, a spokesperson for the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency. The condition of man was unknown.
“We received other reports of damage to homes and fallen trees,” and the damage assessment would continue throughout the day, MacLeod said.
Floods were also a problem. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation closed Interstate 40 in El Reno, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Oklahoma City, due to impounded water. The National Meteorological Service reported that up to 13 centimeters (5 inches) of rain have fallen since Monday.
In Reno and Stillwater, where Oklahoma State University is located, about 88 kilometers (55 miles) northeast of Oklahoma City, lifeguards were rescuing people from their homes because of the impounded water.
With AP information
