Motel in El Reno destroyed by tornado; at least 2 dead

A tornado flattened the Budget Inn Motel along Route 66 in El Reno, Oklahoma, and killed at least two people.

The twister also hit a trailer park and several businesses along the U.S. 81 (aka Route 66) corridor in the city about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, The Oklahoman reported.

“I think El Reno Oklahoma needs a lot of prayers, it has been a traumatic incident,” said El Reno Mayor Matt White, adding that several people had been transported to the hospital. […]

Loyd Roberts, of Burnet, Texas, said he was asleep in the motel when the roof fell in.

“That is what woke me up. The roof caved in, desk flipped over, the room looked like a bomb hit it. I pulled the sheet rock off of me and started looking for people. All I saw was people with scrapes and bruises,” Roberts said.

The trailer park is right behind the motel, so it took the brunt of the twister, as well.

Here are before-and-after images of the motel from a meteorologist:

Here’s an interview that was uploaded today of El Reno’s mayor:

KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City posted helicopter footage of the damage in El Reno.

The west side of El Reno may be impassable for a few days while rescuers and other city workers look for additional survivors in the rubble and clean up the mess.

The Oklahoman newspaper also reported that businesses along Classen Boulevard (aka Route 66) and 23rd Street in Oklahoma City also sustained damage.

Between tornado reports and widespread flooding, Oklahoma residents have endured a rough week. Here is a list of roads closed because of floods, although conditions may change rapidly for worse or for the better. The big problem spot is Miami, which is notoriously flood-prone because of the Neosho River.

UPDATE: The Tulsa World reports severe winds damaged downtown Sapulpa and parts of Tulsa early today.

(Screen-capture image from KOCO video of the destroyed Budget Inn motel in El Reno, Oklahoma)

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