BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — There's extensive damage throughout parts of the Bartlesville area after Monday night's storms.
In a Facebook post, the City of Bartlesville said, "No casualties have been reported. Only minor injuries have been reported."
The City said multiple fire departments responded to trapped individuals at the Bartlesville Hampton Inn, reporting that "all have been rescued."
Images of the hotel show piles of debris throughout the property. The organization B The Light opened a storm shelter on 219 N Virginia Avenue in Bartlesville.
The phone lines for Washington County Emergency Management have been down since early Tuesday morning. The agency urged those with emergencies to call 911 in the meantime.
Citing the outages, Bartlesville Public Schools announced Tuesday classes are canceled.
"Areas of Bartlesville hit the hardest are the area of Dewey Avenue and 22nd Street and, likely more significantly, north of Tuxedo Boulevard and east of Highway 75. Significant damage has also been reported at Circle Mountain."
The City asked people to avoid the areas of Highway 75 and Tuxedo Boulevard as well as Hillcrest Drive near Bartlesville High School and South Johnstone Avenue, where downed power lines are reported.
Major damage is reported in residential areas in northeast Bartlesville and to medical facilities near Jane Phillips Hospital, according to the statement, saying some roads will be closed in these areas.
Resident Ashley Chew recalls the terrifying moment when a family member called and asked her to take cover.
"It's coming this way, and its gonna touch Bartlesville. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Like, it's gonna happen," her sister told her on the phone.
Chew said she hunkered in the bathtub. "It got really silent, and you heard things being thrown across the neighborhood. It hit the house. I felt like the roof was going to be ripped off. Then, it was just dead silent except for the wind around you," she explained. "In that moment...you're thinking, okay, this is it. It's going to hit."
Chew said she's one of the few people in the neighborhood with power on Tuesday.
Bartlesville police are working 12-hour shifts until further notice, per the City.
On Monday, the City confirmed there are no serious injuries or fatalities. It also said crews are working to organize curbside pickup and drop-off sites for green waste.
Bartlesville Public Schools plans to resume classes on Wednesday.
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