Ft. Gibson Couple Dealing With Damage After Storms Tear Away Roof

A Fort Gibson couple woke up in the middle of the night to strong winds tearing their roof off their house. 

Debris is scattered all across Philip Thatcher's property after a storm that lasted just seconds.

 “Very loud. Jet engine. Freight train. But it only lasted like 10 or 15 seconds and it was gone. The roof was gone. The house shook,” says Thatcher. 

Thatcher says those were the sounds that woke him up in the middle of the night. On Tuesday, he got his first look at the mess nearly 70 miles per hour winds left behind. 

“The tin wrapped around two trees and took both the trees down,” says Thatcher.

The storm blew metal and wood more than a hundred yards away. Dozens of trees are knocked down or snapped in half. 

 “I’m 66-years-old and I’ve lived in Oklahoma, I’ve seen one tornado and never been in one and I’m pretty sure this was a tornado,” says Thatcher.

 As Thatcher walks around his property looking at the mess, he’s staying positive. 

“My wife and I are both blessed,” says Thatcher. “It could have been a lot worse and it is what it is. We’re good. We’ll rebuild.”

Thatcher says he has family coming over this weekend to help clean up the mess and start to rebuild.