Westmoore practice facility down, but county largely left untouched by storm

Westmoore High School’s new practice facility suffered structural damage from a tornado-producing storm that pushed through the central United States.

Otherwise, Cleveland County reported minimal damage from the storm.

Storms developed in southwest Oklahoma after an initial wave across northern Oklahoma and breached the western parts of Mustang and Oklahoma City at 11:15, according to Jennifer Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

She confirmed four tornadoes near Helena, Okeene, one mile south of Bison, and three miles south of Covington.

While Cleveland County didn’t experience tornadic activity, she said strong winds caused damage.

“We are looking at some pretty strong straight-line winds through Moore, Southwest Oklahoma City, Northwest Norman,” Thompson said. “We had a measurement of 73 mile per hour wind gusts just two miles southwest of Valley Brook, which is just Northeast of Norman and Moore. There’s some pretty consistent damage across that path.”

The winds affected Westmoore High School’s indoor practice facility, which sustained damage.

“Westmoore is the only school where I can confirm sustained damage,” said Anna Aguilar, MPS public information officer. “The steel framework had gone up and it buckled under the pressure of the wind.”

She said the frame was the only part of the building that had gone up, and that it didn’t yet have walls.

“There was a lot of ground work that needed to be done that held us up through the fall season. We were hoping to have it ready for student-use this August, but that’s going to be scrapped,” Aguilar said.

This week, structural engineers with the BOLDT Construction team will come out this week to assess the damage and strength of the framework.

The building will accommodate band, soccer, softball, baseball, soccer, and other sporting events once completed and will include 80 yards of turf.

Deidre Ebrey, director of Public Affairs in Moore, said other than the high school, the city sustained minimal damage.

“Other than some stop lights that are out of commission that are just flashing red, that’s about it,” she said.

The city closed South Bryant Avenue between SE 12th Avenue and SE 19th Avenue because the storm knocked down a power pole. In the meantime, residents who live on SE 17th Street and 18th Street are still able to access their homes through the barricades.

George Mauldin, director of Emergency Management for Cleveland County, said the rural parts of his jurisdiction were left largely untouched.

“We don’t have any damage in my jurisdiction, which is unincorporated Cleveland County, other than some very minor tree damage,” Mauldin said. “It was pretty amazing considering the nature of that storm. It never really got to us.”

To prepare for the storm, different organizations canceled evening events, including at the University of Oklahoma, Norman Public Schools, Moore Public Schools, the Norman YMCA, The Well, county and city offices and the Norman Optimist Club.

Mark Hamm, Moore mayor, said even though the city experienced minimal damage, it was still important for residents to take precautionary measures.

“Last night, the Emergency Operations Center was activated and the city’s storm spotters were out. Storms can still pose a significant threat in terms of strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and potential flooding, even if there is no tornado,” Hamm said. “These conditions can lead to property damage, power outages, and even personal injury.”

“It is always better to err on the side of caution and take appropriate safety measures when severe weather is in the forecast.”

Tiffany Martinez-Vrska, Norman’s communications officer, said that at this point, the city has not yet received reports of significant damage within its limits.