Oklahoma Gov., OKC Mayor Hold Press Conference Following Overnight Tornadoes

City officials held a press conference on Sunday afternoon following overnight tornadoes in Oklahoma. 

“This is the first time that we've had anything of this level [in] nearly a decade,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. 

After an unexpected round of storms Saturday night, “police and fire sprang into action as usual, responded to the disaster areas and immediately started blocking off intersections when they saw debris and power lines down,” said Oklahoma City Police Department Chief Ron Bacy. 

Fortunately, none of the 11 people transported to the hospital sustained life-threatening injuries. 

“We, so far, have 100 homes that have been damaged statewide. I think we’re around 30,000 still without power as of 1:00 p.m. today. So, they're working tirelessly to get that back restored,” said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. 

Officials said they saw an influx of volunteers and people responding to the scene wanting to help. 

“And that's just the Oklahoma standard,” said Captain Scott Douglas with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. 

However, with downed power lines and flooded areas, “you don't know what's underneath. It may be missing sewage covers; some downed power lines that you may not know. Some sharp glass, sharp hazards. So, the area is still deemed very dangerous,” Douglas explained. 

City officials asked the public to stay away from debris, downed power lines, and responding agencies so they have enough room to work safely. 

“As far as Tuesday for the polling stations, we're prioritizing making sure those are all up. We'll advise the public if there's any issue there with the polling stations and reroute people if we need to,” Stitt added. 

You can report damage here.