Tornado causes extensive damage to Oklahoma town and 1 death as powerful storms hit central US
OKLAHOMA CITY — A tornado destroyed homes and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that stretched into Tuesday. At least one death was reported. The tornado ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa, on Monday night. At least 30 to 40 homes in the Barnsdall area were damaged, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported, and the state Department of Health reported a nursing home was damaged and patients were being evacuated. A natural gas leak and numerous road closings due to debris also were reported, according to Osage County Emergency Management. “We’ve got one confirmed fatality and multiple injuries,” Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told KOKI-TV. Damage also was reported in Bartlesville, about 20 miles northeast. “We did take a direct hit from a tornado” in the city, said Kary Fox of the Washington County Emergency Management. “Please stay off the roadways. Stay out of those damaged areas. We’re having a lot of difficulty getting