ADA, Okla. — The National Weather Service said an EF-1 tornado touched down in Ada before midnight on April 19. Officials spent part of April 20 in Ada assessing damage.
Areas affected include the vicinity of the intersection of Mississippi Avenue and Lonnie Abbott Boulevard. There, a Quality Inn sustained extensive damage. Staff there tell 2 News Oklahoma a tornado became briefly trapped in the motel's square courtyard. A guest staying at the motel said he heard a loud boom as the storm moved through.
The motel's owner has worked at the Quality Inn for 20 years. He said it's all gone in a flash.
"It just. Why, it happened? Why it happens to us, you know?," said JR Ean.
He and his family were walking around the motel when 2 News met up with them. They were getting a look at the damage for the first time.
"I seen a lot of the news, you know, and this is my turn, I guess. We’re gonna be okay. Hopefully we’re going to be okay," Ean said.
Unfortunately he said anything that wasn't damaged by the tornado, was hit by heavy rainfall in the hours after. That was apparent when walking into the flooded lobby.
This is the second time Ada has been hit by a tornado. An EF-1 tornado hit the town in March.
He said he's blessed though because everyone staying at the motel made it out safely.
Several guests came back to the motel in the daylight to get their stuff. Scott Valentine and Lisa Bray were among those gathering their belongings.
They said they made the trip down from Missouri to see their daughter and granddaughters for the Easter weekend.
While they along with their extended family were all okay, their car took a beating.
Valentine said it was nothing like he's heard before.
"Then all the sudden boom out of nowhere, I mean boom like a bomb went off," said Valentine.
He said what made it more haunting was the silence that followed the tornado.
Bray said when they walked out of the door for the first time they were horrified by what they saw.
One of the rooms on the second floor of the motel has a large chunk of the roof through it. Another concern was a single shoe next to their door and what that could have meant.
Luckily, no one at the motel was severely injured, all praising the first responders and Red Cross for their fast response and beds for the rest of the night.
"You know what we got out of there with our lives and our granddaughters did and that’s the most important thing," said Valentine.
While each person in the motel's story was different, all said on Easter they're leaning toward faith to help guide them.
2 News will continue to updates you on air and online as we learn more.
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