Deaths, Injured Numbers Released In Woodward Tornado Aftermath

Officials say three children were among

the five people killed when a tornado ripped through a northwest

Oklahoma town and destroyed dozens of homes. A sixth death has also been confirmed this morning. Details have not been released yet.

The tornado hit just after midnight Sunday in Woodward, about

140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. City Manager Alan Riffel says

89 homes and 13 businesses were destroyed.

State medical examiner spokeswoman Amy Elliot says a man named

Frank Hobbie and his two daughters, ages 5 and 7, died after the

tornado hit their mobile home park.

She says the other victims were Darren Juul and a 10-year-old

girl who died when the home they were in a few miles away from the

Hobbies was hit.

The men’s ages and the children’s names haven’t been released.

Elliot says a critically injured child was air lifted to a Texas

hospital.

Officials have also confirmed that 29 people

in Woodward were injured by the same tornado.

Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer

said Sunday the number of injured was 29, up from an earlier report

of 20.

Woodward Mayor Roscoe Hill, who is also a member of the Woodward

Regional Hospital board, said Sunday afternoon that seven people

were critically injured in the deadly storm. Two of those seven

were airlifted to nearby hospitals.

Woodward Police Chief Harvey Rutherford said Sunday that three

of the five deaths occurred at the mobile home park.

He said the other two were killed in a rural area about 6 miles

southwest of Woodward.