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At Least 4 Dead, Hundreds Injured After Tornadoes Sweep Through Oklahoma, States Of Emergency Issued For 12 Counties

Tornadoes hit towns in Oklahoma

[Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via REUTERS]

Hailey Gomez General Assignment Reporter
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At least four people are dead and hundreds are injured after tornados tore through Oklahoma, resulting in states of emergency being issued for 12 counties, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Tornadoes have been seen since Friday whipping through states such as Iowa and Nebraska, inflicting massive damage on local communities. By late Saturday a tornado ripped through Holdenville, Oklahoma, a town of roughly 5,000 people, according to the AP.

Around 8 a.m. local time, Hughes County Emergency Medical Services confirmed four people had been injured, three with major injuries and one with minor injuries, while two people were pronounced dead — including one adult and one minor, according to a Facebook post. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management later added that an third person was killed along Interstate 35 near the southern Oklahoma city of Marietta, according to the AP.

The National Weather Service issued a warning Sunday for Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas regarding flood watches, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Videos Show Massive Tornado Ripping Through Midwest States)

Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt took to X (formerly known as Twitter) Sunday morning before participating in a “Run to Remember” marathon. He offered his prayers for the residents affected by the natural disaster and stated he declared an emergency disaster to help the community.

“Hey Oklahoma, about to run the ‘Run to Remember’ marathon here — my leg of it. And you know just praying for Oklahomans. I’ll be touring the storm damage here in Sulphur and Holdenville later on today, just praying for Oklahomans. Just declared an emergency disaster so we can get all the help those communities need,” Stitt stated.

In both Holdenville and Sulphur houses were severely damaged due to the storm and significant debris was scattered across lawns and streets. Over 40,000 people combined in Oklahoma and Texas are reportedly without power as of Sunday afternoon, according to an electric utility outage tracking website, poweroutage.us.

Sulphur authorities reported that significant damage was made to the town, with an unknown amount injured, according to the AP.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol have initiated search and rescue operations, the outlet reported.