Nearly two dozen people were injured after a tornado swept through Claremore on Saturday night. The National Weather Service confirmed on Sunday morning that the tornado had touched down in Claremore, but at that point they had no additional information.
According to city officials, the storm injured 23 people, three of whom had life-threatening injuries, and 19 of whom were hospitalized. Along with damaging houses and buildings, the storm also snapped four of the city’s electrical substations’ power lines. It also broke utility poles.
Claremore blocked all incoming traffic on Sunday morning. John Feary, the city manager, said that afternoon that only residents would be allowed entry into the city. As of Sunday morning at nine o’clock, according to Feary, officials were still assessing the damage and searching for any new injuries. In addition, efforts were underway to restore operations to two hospitals, Rogers State University, and the city’s water treatment plant by the end of the day.
The National Weather Service verified the storm damage from Claremore that made it to northwest Arkansas. Meteorologist Joe Sellers says storm surveyors will be in Claremore on Sunday to document the damage and have more details about the tornado.
Several news sources have confirmed two deaths in Mayes County, but no deaths have been reported in Claremore. On Saturday night, tornadoes were also confirmed in north Texas.
