A thunderstorm collapsed over Slaughterville Sunday night producing high winds, tree damage and a downed power line.
Strong winds took out the top of a tree at Maguire Road and 72nd Avenue SE. The tree fell on a power line and disrupted service about 11 p.m. Sunday night. Service was restored in 90 minutes. About 2,000 OG--E customers were affected in southeast Norman and Noble, an OG--E spokesman said.
A strong thunderstorm developed in southern Oklahoma and as it moved north, it fell apart and lost its updraft which produced the strong winds, said Scott Curl of the National Weather Service. He also said there was potential for the same situation Monday night along the Red River in southern Oklahoma.
When a thunderstorm collapses, the air is cooler and moist 15,000-20,000 feet above ground and below it is hot and dry, Curl said. The storms start to decay and fall to the ground and can create 60-to-70 mile an hour wind, the temperature can go up and the humidity may drop.
County crews from District 3 were out by 7 a.m. Monday picking up trees, limbs and other debris. By early afternoon Monday, crews had picked up everything that was called in, Commissioner Rusty Sullivan said.
"As soon as hands showed up, we went in different directions," Sullivan said. "We responded immediately."
Sullivan also said he hadn't heard of any property damage, "just a lot of trees and debris in the roadways." A trampoline wound up in the intersection of 72nd Avenue SE and Etowah Road.
Jim Brown, longtime owner of the Maguire Farm Store, 96th Avenue SE and Maguire Road, had never heard the wind blow that hard and several friends in his age group agreed, he said.
"It was a hot wind," Brown said. "Wind ahead of storms usually is cool. It was really strange."
Brown had not heard of any major damage either. "Maybe a barn west of here."
Marsha Blair, Slaughterville town administrator, said trees were pulled up by the roots and some had tops that were blown off and debris was in the trees. Minor damage was done to the guttering at Slaughterville Town Hall and trash was thrown around the lawn but "missed power lines, the well house and didn't really hurt any buildings," Blair said.
Blair heard reports on the police scanner and went to the Town Hall to check on the computer system.
"We have a generator backup but it's only good for 15 to 30 minutes," she said. "It was really scary and sad."
A tree that had been at Town Hall since Blair could remember had been pulled up by its roots and pine cones were scattered everywhere. "I told my husband it looked like someone had thrown little hand grenades at us," Blair said.
Blair said she heard where a car hit a downed tree but the driver wasn't hurt. She also said a tree had fallen on the playground fence and damaged some playground equipment at Maguire Baptist Church, 9801 Maguire Road, and dumpsters were moved around.
"The church still hasn't found one of its dumpsters," Blair said.
Blair listened while sheriff's deputies located debris and damage and they then called District 3.
"The deputies really did a super job identifying the damage," Blair said. "And District 3 did a great job cleaning up."
Blair also said they have really been cracking down on encouraging people to tie down and skirt their mobile homes. One resident wasn't happy about it, Blair said, but after Sunday night, she was thankful.
Local news
High winds topple trees in Slaughterville
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