Published: April 29, 2009 10:49 pm         

4 tornadoes confirmed in county

Staff and wire reports



As many as six tornadoes raked across Oklahoma over the weekend, with most of them occurring in Garfield County, according to National Weather Service.

Four tornadoes were confirmed in Garfield County, according to NWS.

Investigators determined two tornadoes that struck the county were EF-2s, including the storm that hit Chisholm Trail Coliseum, said meteorologist Alex Lamers. An EF-2 tornado can generate winds of 111-135 mph.

The other EF-2 storm hit southeast of Kremlin, according to a report compiled by Rick Smith, warning coordination meteorologist.

A third Garfield County tornado, which struck northwest of Kremlin and near Hillsdale, was rated EF-1, Lamers said. EF-1 tornadoes generate winds of 86-110 mph.

Rating on the county’s fourth tornado, which hit east of Hillsdale, has not been completed.

Tornadoes also were reported in Roger Mills and Ellis counties on Sunday, but investigators haven’t assigned ratings to them yet, Lamers said.

Scientists still are trying to evaluate how long the tornadoes stayed on the ground.

There were no serious injuries reported with the storms, but extensive property damage was reported in Garfield County.

In addition to the Coliseum, there was damage to several businesses and homes in North Enid. The tornadoes near Kremlin also caused damage to at least one home in the area and blew the press box off the Kremlin-Hillsdale High School football stadium.

No estimates have been developed yet for the amount of damage to the Coliseum, but Steve Hobson, chairman of Garfield County Board of Commissioners, said he was told by insurance adjusters from Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma to set aside $500,000 in the insurance fund for repairs to the building. Hobson said that is common when damage occurs. He said the damage amount is not expected to top the amount set aside.

Adjusters told Expo Center employee Karen Schimon they would make a recommendation, and the company then would send an estimator to place a dollar amount on the damage. Engineers will inspect the building for structural damage to make sure nothing has been missed.