Oklahoma Govern Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency in 12 counties following a series oftornadoes and severe weather that killed at least four people and left thousands without electricity due to damage.
Destruction was extensive in the town of Sulphur after a tornado flattened many downtown buildings, tossed vehicles and sheered the roofs off of houses across a 15-block radius. About 30 people were reported injured in the town.
According to local authorities, the tornado began at a city park and made its way through the downtown area, flipping cars and ripping the roofs and walls off brick buildings, and blowing out windows and doors. Local residents sheltered at the high school gym.
Across Oklahoma, there were reports of about 100 injuries, as at least 17 tornadoes struck the state, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (ODEM).
Farther north, a tornado near Holdenville killed two people and damaged more than a dozen homes, according to the Hughes County Emergency Medical Service.
Another person was killed along Interstate 35 near Marietta, according to the ODEM and a hospital was damaged.Authorities closed the interstate at the Oklahoma/ Texas state line to deal with overturned vehicles and downed powerlines.
Nearly 30,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma on Sunday and nearly 52,000 Texas customers were without power.
While Texas and Kansas average the most tornadoes each year, at approximately 130 and 87, respectively, Oklahoma sits in the heart of Tornado Alley and averages about 66 per year.
April kicks off what is typically the most active and dangerous three-month period of the year for tornadoes in the U.S.
Although strong tornadoes can occur in any month, weather history shows that April, May and June are the months with the highest potential of having both the highest number of tornadoes and the most violent.
May typically has the most tornadoes each year, with an average of 278. This is followed by June and April, which average 188 and 203 per year, respectively.