More severe weather likely in Oklahoma

(News Today) - Much of the Central Plains and Midwest braced for another day of potentially severe weather as residents of Oklahoma cleaned up from a deadly outbreak of tornadoes this week.

The National Weather Service said severe thunderstorms were possible Wednesday across large sections of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, as well as parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, forecast an outbreak of powerful thunderstorms in the late afternoon and into the evening -- some with large hail.

The deadly storm system that swept through Oklahoma on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail. Two people died and more than 100 people were treated for various injuries, the state Department of Emergency Management reported.

Gov. Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon.

"I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw," Henry said. "Literally hundreds and, I think, thousands of homes have received damaged in these storms, and many, many of those homes have been destroyed.

"Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit, this storm really was a statewide event, and there is damage and destruction throughout the state," he said.

The governor said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him "that FEMA would act very, very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster (declaration) and federal aid."

State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage. Additionally, 43 businesses were destroyed.

Source : CNN

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