MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Storms struck Muskogee last night, knocking down power lines across the entire city, uprooting trees, and forcing Hilldale Public Schools to cancel classes.
Damage spread for blocks, with trees landing on homes. 2 News Oklahoma spoke to homeowners who said, luckily, no one was injured, but today they are stuck picking up the pieces. Utility workers spent the night restoring power.
The City of Muskogee issued a news release stating emergency management is actively working to determine what went wrong with the sirens last night. City information indicates there was a delay in activating the siren system.
David Crenshaw watched the storm from his grandmother's porch. He told me he has never seen a force of nature like he witnessed last night.
"I was smoking a cigarette, and that wind got up, and all of a sudden the rain just started spinning too. I mean, it just spun," Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw said he thinks he watched a tornado form.
"I heard a lot of roaring. It sounds like a train when it comes through," Crenshaw said.
When I asked if it could possibly be a tornado, Crenshaw agreed.
"I'd say so," Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw said he was outside the entire time and did not hear any sirens go off until the storm had fully passed.
"No sirens, and I was outside," Crenshaw said.
Juliet Colyer, another neighbor, told me she was doing a sleep study during the storm and did hear the sirens.
"I heard the sirens go off, and I thought, ' Do I get in my closet or do I ride it out? I'm quite embarrassed to tell you; I sat in my bed," Colyer said.
Hilldale Public Schools spent this morning picking up the pieces after power lines were knocked over on their property.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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