OKMULGEE COUNTY, Okla. — Some morning windstorms swept through Okmulgee County on March 4, leaving damage in pockets around Henryetta and Morris.
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff was on the ground listening to locals who experienced damage and asked emergency officials where recovery efforts stand.
A couple of cars sat on mud at one family’s farm. Less than 24 hours prior, they would’ve been inside somebody’s haybarn. But now that’s on the other side of that fence, a few yards away.
“The winds were pretty loud, probably some of the worst we've ever heard,” Melissa Leggett told 2 News. “And we did hear a loud bang.”
That’s what Leggett and her family heard while holed up inside the cellar on their farm located north of Morris.
If it wasn’t already apparent, she told us the haybarn was beyond repair — reduced to a pile of scrap metal and wood. The wind also knocked some debris against some of their cars.
“I was just shocked because we've been through several storms and tornadoes in the area and this had never happened,” she said. “We made it out safe. All the animals are good. And this was bad, but could have been worse, so [we’re] thankful for that.”
The windstorm didn’t just hit the Morris area. Henryretta also saw properties damaged and objects flung far distances.
15-year-old Peyton Sweet told 2 News her family’s trampoline was blown past a neighboring field and into a further forest.
This Henryetta family’s tin awning completely collapsed, smashing their home’s front windows in the process
Throughout the area, crews were quick to clear fallen trees and fix electrical poles.
With it being early March, when asked if this was a taste of what’s to come, Jeff Moore replied, “Man, I really hope not. After last spring we've had enough of all damage.”
Moore is the Okmulgee County Emergency Services Director. 2 News asked him about evaluating the damage.
“This isn't near as bad as it could have been,” he observed. “I don't believe, from the damage we've seen, we're not believing that this was an actual touchdown of a tornado. Again, damage assessment is still ongoing.”
Moore told us there were no deaths reported in the county on Tuesday but that there were two people with minor injuries.
“This is just the beginning. We just started meteorological spring,” he pointed out. “We're going to have more thunderstorms, more severe weather — hopefully no more tornadoes. But it's Oklahoma. So, we're bound to get them.”
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