Tornado-battered towns in Oklahoma clean up after deadly storms

SULPHUR, Okla. — Powerful tornadoes that ripped through several Oklahoma communities over the weekend were particularly dangerous because they dropped from the sky after dark, catching residents off guard as the twisters tore through homes and businesses, uprooted trees and tossed vehicles.

Those tornadoes were rated as EF3 or higher, meaning they were powerful enough to uproot or snap large trees, remove roofs and knock down walls of well-built homes and easily toss cars and heavy vehicles. They were particularly dangerous because they hit after 10 p.m. “We live less than a mile away, but last night it took us more than an hour to get here,” said Kathy John, the publisher of the local weekly newspaper, the Sulphur Times-Democrat, who spent Monday helping her staff move equipment from the downtown newsroom to her nearby home.Hospitals across the state reported about 100 injuries, including people apparently cut or struck by debris, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

In town, the sound of chainsaws echoed through neighborhoods as residents cut up fallen trees that blocked entry to their homes. A creek that runs through the center of town was filled to its banks with muddy water churned up during the weekend storms. The area also was battered with heavy rain, and many residents spent the day Monday sifting through soggy belongings or pumping standing water from basements.

“The bar was destroyed,” Goodman said. “I know they probably won’t find her alive … but I hope she is still alive.”Japan’s ruling party loses all 3 seats in special vote, seen as punishment for corruption scandal

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