NewsLocal News

Actions

'Why is it green outside?' | Collinsville residents recall fast-moving storm

collinsville storm damage playground
Posted
and last updated

COLLINSVILLE, Okla. — In addition to Pittsburg County and Tahlequah, Collinsville also saw damage from May 19's storms.

2 News Oklahoma listened to area residents about what they said was a “scary” experience.

“I came outside, and it was all green,” Charlotte Farr recalled, “and I was like, ‘Why is it green outside?’ And all of a sudden, it started hitting.”

COLLINSVILLE STORM DAMAGE

The Collinsville resident’s security cameras captured the storm tearing through her backyard, sending much of her furniture into other people’s yards.

“I didn't expect it to hit that fast,” she told 2 News. “I jumped in my pantry. That’s the only thing I could think of.”

COLLINSVILLE STORM DAMAGE charlotte farr douglas braff

Farr had to take cover quickly to escape the howling wind she described as sounding like a train.

“I really thought it was a tornado,” she said. “The sound that we heard … was just explosive.”

When asked if the sunlight revealed anything about the extent of the damage, she replied, “I'm still finding that I'm missing things.”

WATCH: Collinsville residents recall fast-moving storm

'Why is it green outside?' | Collinsville residents recall fast-moving storm

“The steps to the hot tub, all of this furniture was up against that fence,” she said, pointing to things as she gave us a tour of her backyard. “And all of this furniture was piled up in that corner.”

“My grill, everything was way over there,” she added. “My storage boxes, it's gone, it's over at the neighbor's. And my fences were blown open, and all of my stuff was out in the front yard.”

We drove through the area she lives in to get a sense of how bad it was for her neighbors.

“It came through this fence right here, and it was crumpled up over there,” said one area resident off-camera.

COLLINSVILLE STORM DAMAGE

That resident showed us how her neighbor’s trampoline flew across the road, wrecked her fence, and knocked over her kids’ playground.

Throughout the neighborhood, we saw other toppled playgrounds, upside-down or torn trampolines, and broken fences.

“We were really surprised,” resident Alicia Fisher told 2 News, “because it seemed like everything was just headed down to the south, and we really weren't that concerned about it.”

COLLINSVILLE STORM DAMAGE DOUGLAS BRAFF ALICIA FISHER

She pointed out that the winds tore up some shingles on her roof and ripped off some of the paint on her garden shed.

“I think we're pretty fortunate to have only sustained this little bit of damage,” Fisher emphasized.


Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --