Hurricanes practically completely destroy small American towns

At least 5 people have died as a result of the tornado that hit the US state of Oklahoma. Hughes County emergency services said Sunday that a four-month-old baby was among the dead. Dozens were injured, particularly in Sulphur, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced. He spoke of the catastrophic devastation in the small town of about 5,000 people. Rescuers went door-to-door and car-by-car searching for victims and survivors.

Videos and photos on social media showed several destroyed buildings in the small town in south-central Oklahoma. Overturned or crushed vehicles were also seen.

“It looks like every commercial town has been destroyed,” Stitt told a news conference. “Luckily at 10:30 p.m. there weren't that many people there.” Stitt insisted it was the worst hurricane he has experienced since he began his tenure six years ago.

Two people died in Holdenville after a tornado swept through the community Saturday evening (local time). Four other people were injured, according to emergency services in Hughes County. Another fatality occurred on Interstate 35 near Marietta in southern Oklahoma, the state Emergency Management Agency said. According to a report in the Washington Post, a tornado in Ardmore in the same state threw debris as high as 6,100 meters.

Governor Stitt declared a state of emergency for 12 counties in the Midwestern state. Dozens of tornadoes have been reported in the region since Friday, some of which caused massive damage to homes and businesses. Strong winds brought down trees and power poles, and flood warnings were in effect for Oklahoma and other states including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.

Emergency services were busy over the weekend clearing the wreckage and assessing the damage. As of Sunday morning (local time), nearly 33,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma, and nearly 67,000 were affected in Texas.