Severe Thunderstorm Causes Damage In Midtown Tulsa

A severe thunderstorm slammed into midtown Tulsa early Tuesday morning causing all kinds of damage. <br/><br/>The majority of the storm damage was between 15th and 21st Streets around Harvard and Yale.

Tuesday, June 6th 2006, 7:26 am

By: News On 6

A severe thunderstorm slammed into midtown Tulsa early Tuesday morning causing all kinds of damage.

The majority of the storm damage was between 15th and 21st Streets around Harvard and Yale. Winds ripped part of the roof off of one church and scattered debris around the building and onto Harvard, in front of the building.

Some rides at Bells Amusement Park were also damaged. The canopy was peeled away from one. And several large trees were uprooted in residential areas. Some fell on homes and others broke off into streets and power lines.

Emergency officials say four people were injured, including a firefighter.

Residents are working with city crews to clean up the damage in neighborhoods. Those living in Florence Park have spent the last few hours clearing roads and debris from their yards.

Most homeowners here woke up to the sounds of Mother Nature crashing down all around them. The high winds brought down trees of all shapes and sizes. Some people avoided serious damage and only had a few pots knocked over in their yard. But others weren't so lucky.

Cheryl Mathery just moved to Tulsa a few days ago from Texas. The tree in her neighbor's yard landed on his home and the branches crushed her Volkswagen Jetta, pinning it in her driveway. "Been here only about a week. I moved here from Houston and certainly was looking forward to getting away from hurricanes and didn't expect to be moving into this kind of zone."

We do have a word of warning, Tulsa Police officers say beware of contractors overcharging for their work. One officer told the News on 6, some are charging from $600 to $900 to clear limbs. One woman paid $350 just to have a limb moved from her driveway. Police warn people not to overpay or get scammed.

The storms knocked power lines down in the area between 11th and 27th Streets and from Lewis to Yale. Officials are asking everyone to avoid the area if at all possible.

PSO says about 12,000 customers are currently without power. Right now, crews are trying to de-energize the lines so they can begin work. The city of Tulsa is clearing streets, so it could be several days before power to homes and businesses are restored. PSO official Steve Baker: "It's going to be a couple of days to get the system rebuilt. We're going to basically have to rebuild portions of the system from scratch."

PSO says it will have about 200 workers in the hardest hit area until the lines are repaired.

There is a hotline set up to provide information to those affected by the storm and answer questions about food safety, supplies of oxygen for those with breathing problems and other health-related issues. The number is 596-7822.