Oklahoma tornado death toll rises as stunned survivors say they 'never thought' there would be so much damage

Death tolls are on the rise as a downtown stretch of an Oklahoma community was wiped out by a barrage of tornados this weekend.

Drone video shows some of the catastrophic damage - as communities like Sulphur and Holdenville were the hardest hit. A total of five people, including an infant, have been declared dead.

The towns account for three of those five deaths - as fatalities were also recorded on I-35 and in a city in Iowa. Twisters in those states - as well as Nebraska and Texas - have destroyed hundreds of homes.

As much of the damage from the storms remains to be seen, it's been revealed one of the Holdenville victims was a four-month-old baby.

An hour away, as parts of a once bustling West Muskogee Avenue were left unrecognizable in Sulphur, local business owners spoke out about the EF-3-level disaster they had just survived.

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An Oklahoma community was wiped out by a barrage of tornados this weekend, one of which can be seen here

Photos show some of the damage left behind  in Sulphur, a small town of 5,000 that saw it's downtown district almost completely razed by the weather event Saturday

Local business owners like Julie Cox spoke out about surviving the EF-3-level disaster, which killed at least one local in the town of 5,000, as at least three other Oklahomans have died. Another person died in Iowa. Cox's store, Pamper Me Boutique, was among those destroyed

'I just never dreamed it would do this much damage,' boutique boss Julie Cox told Good Morning American Sunday, hours after a tornado tore through the area.

'Just devastation,' she added, as businesses, including her own, laid razed behind her.

'I mean, I have a lot of friends that own [stores] on this whole street,' she said, visibly distraught.

'We're all like family here.'

'Definitely the most damage since I've been governor that I've seen,' added Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, at a press conference where he revealed at least one person in the town of 5,000 had died.

'I've seen a lot of damage. I've been around the state for, this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable.'

Others like Christy Morris, the owner of the Mix Mercantile on the same savaged street, awoke Sunday to find their business in a state of disaster.

The clothing and home goods seller's store, like several others', is no more, as the owner provided proof to Fox Weather with images of the destruction she came across in the daylight.

NWS survey teams, meanwhile, reported damage consistent with an EF-3 tornado, as they continued to sift through debris in a search for survivors, though most are believed to be accounted for.

Several other twisters were sighted in the Sooner State and states nearby, including this one north of Waverly, Nebraska

The boutique owner offered the interview to Good Morning America Sunday, as parts of a once bustling West Muskogee Avenue were left in tatters by the weather event the night before

People survey some of the damage in the town's downtown district, where Cox - whose business was completely destroyed - and other proprietors have been left to pick up the pieces

'Definitely the most damage since I've been governor that I've seen,' said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt at a press conference Sunday, where he revealed at least one person in the town of 5,000 had died

'I've seen a lot of damage. I've been around the state for, this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable'

NWS survey teams, meanwhile, reported damage consistent with an EF-3 tornado, as they continue to sift through debris and look for survivors

Stitt issued a statement Sunday morning: 'My prayers are with those who lost loved ones as tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma last night.

'Thank you to Oklahoma Emergency Management and those who have worked through the night to keep Oklahomans safe and have worked to clear debris and assess damage'

Stitt issued a statement Sunday morning: 'My prayers are with those who lost loved ones as tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma last night. 

'Thank you to Oklahoma Emergency Management and those who have worked through the night to keep Oklahomans safe and have worked to clear debris.'

Hours earlier, Stitt declared a state of emergency in 12 counties, as numerous towns including Sulphur suffered significant damage by the weather outbreak. 

He said about 30 people were injured in Sulphur, at the conference called in the town, the Idaho Press reported.

'You just can't believe the destruction,' Stitt said, echoing his earlier statement. 'It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.' 

The city famed for its mineral springs set around 65 miles southwest of Holdenville was not alone, though, with nearby Marietta, Ardmore, Holdenville, Mills Creek and Dickson all also hit.

Videos from each of the towns, all struck by the same stormy weather that savaged the Sooner State Saturday, demonstrate the destruction.

Another two deaths occurred in Holdenville, and another on a stretch of Interstate 35 near Marietta, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed in a statement. 

A man is surrounded by tornado damage after severe storms moved through the night before in Sulphur

Charlie Schwake walks past his property in Sulphur

Damaged storefronts in Sulphur

A man walks past flipped and damaged cars in Sulphur

A bulldozer trying to clear away rubble in Sulphur

Tornadoes spotted in each city were part of the more than 100 that have surfaced in the US over three days, hitting the American heartland and putting millions under severe weather threat. 

One of the Holdenville victims was a four-month-old baby, reports from The Washington Post and KOCO went on to reveal - as the identities of the other deceased remain unknown.

One more death was reported in Minden, Iowa, Saturday, after a man died from injuries sustained during a tornado outbreak seen on Friday, the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department confirmed.

The man - whose age was not immediately provided - suffered unspecified injuries after becoming trapped in his basement, as a massive wedge tornado swept through the streets overhead. 

First responders were able to free him and rushed him to a hospital late Friday. Media reports listed him as stable, but he succumbed to his injuries Saturday night.

 Millions more are still bracing for more severe weather further South, with the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dallas and Texas all potentially being affected.

Marietta, moreover, suffered damage to its hospital, according to the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management - as members of he Chickasaw Nation have been forced to step in amid an all-hands-on deck response.

One more death was reported in Minden, Iowa, Saturday, after a man died from injuries sustained during a tornado outbreak seen on Friday, the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department said. Damage left behind there Saturday is seen here

The man - whose age was not immediately provided - suffered unspecified injuries after becoming trapped in his basement, as a massive wedge tornado swept through the streets overhead. The tornado is seen a few miles away on Friday

Like Stitt did for Sulphur, Iowa's governor issued a disaster emergency proclamation for Minden, a town of just under 600 residents

Meanwhile, millions more are still bracing for more severe weather further South, with the outskirts of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dallas and Texas all potentially being affected. A tornado in Iowa Friday is seen here 

Like Silt did for Sulphur, Iowa's governor issued a disaster emergency proclamation for Minden, a town of just under 600 residents, where about 180 homes were damaged

In total, Oklahoman authorities have confirmed at least four deaths so far during the severe weather, with Silt confirming the fourth in Oklahoma on Sunday.

Like Silt did for Sulphur, Iowa's governor issued a disaster emergency proclamation for Minden, a town of just under 600 residents, where about 180 homes were damaged.

Roughly 40 percent of those homes, officials on Sunday said, had been completely destroyed, by a tornado the likes of which the town's mayor said had not been seen for at least 50 years.

One man told Fox Weather how his house was blown about 20 feet off its foundation by one of the many 'large and extremely dangerous' tornadoes that touched down across western and central Iowa Friday, 

However, he considered himself lucky because he wasn't at home when the twister that hit Minden struck his two-story home.

'It's kind of crazy. I'm trying to stay in good spirits with it, you know? It's one of those things that you can only do so much. It wasn't where I left it,' homeowner Randy Davis said, trying to stay upbeat despite losing his domicile. 

'I got a lot of support, though. A lot of my friends are helping out.'

Footage of the tornado hitting Minden Friday is seen here, after twisters already tore through neighboring Nebraska

Footage of the tornado hitting Minden Friday is now circulating, after twisters already tore through neighboring Nebraska 

There, several communities were left reeling from multiple other devastating twisters, including one that plowed through suburban Omaha on Friday.

Dozens of reported tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging at least 150 homes in Omaha alone.

But no fatalities were reported, and fewer than two dozen people were treated at Omaha-area hospitals, said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director of the city’s Douglas County Health Department.

'Miraculous' she said Saturday, stressing that none of the city’s injuries were serious. Neighboring communities reported a handful of injuries each. 

Meanwhile, late Sunday, a new tornado watch was issued for portions of eastern Texas just as two funnel clouds were confirmed near Rosebud and Freestone, Texas, officials said. 

The watch will remain in effect until 9 pm CT Monday.

Meanwhile, late Sunday, a new tornado watch was issued for portions of eastern Texas just as two funnel clouds were confirmed near Rosebud (pictured) and Freestone, Texas, officials said. The watch will remain in effect until 9 pm CT Monday

Tornado damage is seen in Minden, Iowa, Saturday, as searchers are still surveying the remains

That will mark the fourth day of the severe weather outbreak across the heartland states, with more than 22 million people in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois having been on high alert on Sunday 

Holdenville, a town of about 6,000 people 77 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, was left reeling by a tornado wrought by this outbreak, as was the Elkhorn area of Omaha where people are still surveying the scattered remains of destroyed homes

A search for victims and an assessment of damage launched Saturday night is still in effect, as a Holdenville family told Oklahoma City ABC affiliate KOCO that a relative lost their home in the storm and remained hospitalized Sunday.

That home was also where the baby who was pronounced dead at a local hospital had lived, the Hughes County emergency manager told the outlet.  

In Lincoln, Nebraska, An industrial building in Lancaster County was hit, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated, and the three injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

The tornadoes first began Friday and one or possibly two twisters spent around an hour creeping toward Omaha, leaving behind damage consistent with winds of 135 to 165 mph, said Chris Franks, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office.

Ultimately the initial twister slammed into the Elkhorn neighborhood in western Omaha, a city of 485,000 people.

'We barely made it to the basement and then we heard the destruction going on upstairs,' said resident James Stennis, who moved to the Elkhorn neighborhood about a year ago. 'Wow.'

Terry Kicking sifts through the damage after a tornado leveled his home hours before in nearby Omaha, Nebraska. While Oklahoma was taking the brunt of the tornado outbreak, Nebraska also endured severe tornadoes Saturday and the day before

Damage is seen to home after it was leveled by a tornado near Omaha

Paul Retzlaff, left, talks with Davianne Vice after a tornado damaged his machine shed on Friday in Lincoln

A drone view shows emergency personnel working at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of a tornado in Omaha, Nebraska

A house at Sycamore Farms in Waterloo, Nebraska, on Saturday, April 27, 2024 

Workers clean up the debris at Sycamore Farms in Waterloo, Nebraska, on Saturday, April 27, 2024, after a tornado damaged the property the day before

Heavy storm clouds appear as a tornado moves through suburbs northwest of Omaha on Friday, April 26, 2024

Staci Roe, another citizen, surveyed the damage to what was supposed to be her 'forever home.'

 When the first tornado hit, she had been at the airport picking up a friend who was supposed to spend the night.

'There was no home to come to,' she said in an interview Saturday, recalling the 'utter dread' she felt when she came to face to face with it for the first time.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, meanwhile,  spent Saturday touring the damage and arranging for assistance for the damaged communities. Formal damage assessments are still underway, but the states plan to seek federal help.

'It is an extraordinary miracle that we’ve had this kind of cell come through and no casualties, no loss of life,' Pillen marveled at a news conference.

President Joe Biden spoke to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Sunday, according to the White House. He offered affected communities the 'full support of the federal government' following Saturday's fatal tornadoes. 

As of writing, tornado watches are still in affect for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa.